


stitch me up

by lilstupidprincess



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: Angst, Angst and Hurt/Comfort, Drunk Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, Enemies to Lovers, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Guardian Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Halloween, Ladynoir fluff, Long, Marichat | Adrien Agreste as Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng, Miraculous Ladybug Love Square, Multi, Pining Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir, Slow Burn, Tendencies, adrien gets the domestic fluff he deserves, because let teens be teens, but shes also a ray of sunshine, especially marinette, ill explain more i promise, im trying and im struggling, marinette is kind of a bitch, they love eachother, theyre best friends, theyre both very very stupid, this fanfic is all over the place, youre in for the long haul
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-10
Updated: 2020-08-08
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:47:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 15
Words: 64,354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24636298
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lilstupidprincess/pseuds/lilstupidprincess
Summary: “Yeah! S-see you tom-” Looking at her hand, she froze, noticing her slouched body and wide eyes. “God, why am I stammering?”Her flying red friend fluttered out of her bag, “I think I might know why.”Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed, looking at her friend, and then back at the blonde-haired boy who mysteriously stopped at the bottom of the steps below her. “Yeah…” Her eyes glowed, a newfound feeling inside of her that she hadn’t felt for a long time. Her eyes darkened and a frown reentered her face. “I hate him.”-Marinette Dupain-Cheng never liked Adrien Agreste. She found him rude, and stuck up, among other things. Adrien never understood this, and using his identity as Chat Noir, he visits Marinette. On a journey of discovery, recovery, teaching, and learning, this singular nightly visit results in a relationship far deeper than he or she ever expected.
Relationships: Adrien Agreste | Chat Noir/Marinette Dupain-Cheng | Ladybug, Alya Césaire/Nino Lahiffe, Marc Anciel/Nathaniel Kurtzberg, Minor or Background Relationship(s), Plagg/Tikki (Miraculous Ladybug)
Comments: 76
Kudos: 148





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Welcome! I have had this AU in mind ever since I first watched the Origins episode. I've been wanting to write it for a while, and finally gained the energy, and motivation to do so. I'm going to try and decide on a schedule, but for now please expect an episode maybe once a week, or a couple of times a week. It's currently Summer, so uploads will be more frequent! Hopefully, I'll have a set schedule soon, y'know, to keep me on my toes.
> 
> Something you should look out for in this series, that will be heavily developed, is their tendencies.  
> Using inspiration from countless fanfictions I've read, I'm inputting cat and ladybug tendencies to our two main protagonists. As well as something I haven't seen before but I'm sure exists; yin and yang tendencies. This includes a series of different side-effects, and habits, that Adrien and Marinette go through while being each other's miraculous yin and yang.
> 
> Thanks so much for reading! I can't wait to share this story with everyone! :)

“Said you'd always be my white blood,  
Elevate my soul above.

Giving me your white blood  
I need you right here with me."  
_White Blood - Oh Wonder_

* * *

_Marinette felt the umbrella collapse over her. Her cheeks burning, she peeked at the blonde in front of her, forcing a laugh to come out of her once he started a soft belly chuckle. The rain trickled down his cheek and forehead._

_“See you tomorrow.” The blonde said, his eyes glimmering a new sense of hope in the rain. An innocent sense of hope. It made Marinette’s stomach roll._

_“Yeah! S-see you tom-” Looking at her hand, she froze, noticing her slouched body and wide eyes. “God, why am I stammering?”_

_Her flying red friend fluttered out of her bag, “I think I might know why.”_

_Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed, looking at her friend, and then back at the blonde-haired boy who mysteriously stopped at the bottom of the steps below her. “Yeah…” Her eyes glowed, a newfound feeling inside of her that she hadn’t felt for a long time. Her eyes darkened and a frown reentered her face. “I hate him.”_

* * *

Alya fell back on her bench, leaning against the table behind her and Marinette in homeroom. She exhaled a sharp laugh, looking back at a glaring Marinette. “Girl, it has been 2 years. When are you just gonna suck it up? You were the one who wanted to sit behind him.”

“Well, now it’s you! Because you want to sit behind Nino. I don’t want to sit behind him! That was just because of Chloe. Ooh, maybe Adrien and Chloe should sit together, they’d be besties!” She said with fake enthusiasm.

Alya rolled her eyes back when she saw Marinette’s slumped, disappointed expression as the blonde walked in and took a seat next to Nino, doing a signature handshake the two had for years. They were well into their second year of Lycée, and they were all 16, and Adrien was almost 17.

The boys settled in front of the girls, Marinette frequently looking at Alya while she and Nino had a conversation. This was protocol every morning, Nino and Alya would talk and Adrien and Marinette would sit in a comfortable, mutually understood silence. Marinette normally took this time to get out her sketchbook and draw, and desperately ignore Adrien’s ever so often attempts to strike up a conversation.

Even after a couple of years of the two going to school together, Adrien still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Marinette just didn’t like him. Alya would tell her, _‘He’s dumbfounded, Mari! You’ve gotta cut the boy some slack, okay? He didn’t even do anything’_

 _‘Oh but that’s where you’re wrong, Alya! He did everything. He’s smug and stuck up, and rude, and he’s so full of himself with his cocky smile and perfect clothes all the time, ugh! Why does his dad have to be so… Awesome?’_ She’d say in response, flopping on her bed and get a scoff in response from Alya, causing the darker haired girl to throw a pillow at her friend.

Adrien and Marinette had their ups and downs, that’s for sure. Their ups were, really up, to the point where Marinette would even talk to Alya about possibly becoming friends with him. Then he would do something, any tiny thing just shook Marinette to the core. Sent shivers down her spine, and made her want to snap him like a tree branch.

Marinette wasn’t the fondest with most people anyway. Sure, she loved helping people, and would always show them care or sympathy. Hell, she would show Chloe or Adrien help or sympathy if they needed it. That was the Ladybug in her! That’s what Chat would say, anyway. But she wasn’t that close with people. She had Alya… and Nino! Nino came with Adrien, but Marinette had known Nino forever. She wasn’t going to give him up for some blonde mop.

And god what an attractive blonde mop he was. Sure, he was insufferable and made Marinette shake in her seat and her eyebrows narrow down at him… But, he was hot. He was a model, for heaven’s sake! Of course, he was attractive. Of course, he had abs and toned arms and beach boy hair and perfectly tanned skin. But Marinette was a 16-year-old hormonal girl if she didn’t find this random stuck up model attractive she wasn’t working right and she would need a check-up.

She didn’t know why she felt so attracted to the blonde. Not just because he was attractive, but it felt like a magnet. No matter how much Marinette despised him, feeling apart from him made her want to throw up. Every time he wasn’t at school she got a mixed sense of relief from him being gone, and emptiness, like the world, was gonna explode with him not there with her… Even though she didn’t particularly enjoy his company, to begin with.

She blamed it on her Ladybug instincts, always needing to be there for people, even if she hated them. This was the same thing, right?

“Adrikins, there you are! God, I thought you were sick!” The annoying dim-witted blonde 2.0 threw her arms around a stiff Adrien. Alya and Nino stopped their conversation as their eyes darted to Chloe. Marinette just huffed, using every power in her bones to not shoot her eyes up at Chloe and Adrien, too. Instead, she fixed her eyes on her sketches below her, and the charcoal pencil in her hand. Not realizing she was pushing too far in with her pencil, a snap shredded the group, the 4 of them looking at Marinette.

Chloe released her grasp from Adrien at the distraction, and Marinette noticed the boy’s frame relaxing, and his shoulder’s going neutral again. Chloe rested a hand on her waist, “Uh, Dupain-Cheng! Do you mind? God. Get a grip! Anyway, Adrikins…!” 

Marinette ignored the huff from the blonde in front of her, turning to Alya with a locked jaw, Alya looked at her knowingly, and Nino scoffed and rolled his eyes, turning back to the two girls behind him. Marinette repositioned herself so that the three were in a triangle position. She leaned into them, ignoring the babbling voice of Chloe and the annoying hums and grunts and the ‘yeah, sure, I guess’ spluttering from Adrien’s mouth.

She wasn’t listening to what Alya and Nino were saying either, though.

Finally, after a long 5 minutes, the teacher started the day with the announcements, Chloe returned to her seat, and Adrien returned to his relaxed self. Marinette had her cheek cupped in her hand, trying hard not to fall asleep on said hand, and lazily cast her eyes between the teacher, Alya, and weirdly, the previously said blonde mop.

* * *

“Oh come on, Mari. You’re like what, an honor roll student, or something, don’t come at me with that ‘Oh no I’m so stupid blah blah’ non-sense.” Nino grunted, his arm around Alya on the opposite side of the picnic table. It was lunch break and Alya dragged her to the park with her, Nino, and Adrien.

Leaving Marinette very close to Adrien on the other side of the table. She hated it. Too close.

She tried to ignore the boy’s timid looks at her every so often. His gaze made her stomach roll when every so often his timid looks became stubborn, prominent stares. She didn’t like the boy, but she found strange respect for him for not letting down easily. It reminded her of a certain black cat she knew and loved.

Marinette scoffed at her friend’s comment. “Yeah yeah, whatever. It’s not like I have any street smarts.”

“What?” She heard the blonde said. Her heart stopped, it was the first thing he had said to the group all lunch. She turned his body to him, arching an eyebrow.

“What? Got a problem or… something?” She noticed Alya tensing, and taking a deep breath across the table from her. She paid no mind to her best friend, eyes fixated on Adrien’s, who were fixated on hers. Still not going down without a fight, Adrien’s mouth twitched into a smile like he was happy she was looking back at him.

“No. No problem. I just don’t agree. I think you have street smarts. What, the way you stand up to Chloe, and everything. Takes brains. And not just intellect brains.” He mindlessly chomped on a carrot. The tension thick around them, his eyes still not prying from hers. She didn’t realize the heat on her ears.

“Yeah. Sure. Whatever you say.” She scoffed, copying his action by chomping into a cookie her mom had packed for her, making sure she left one for Tikki, she released her eye contact from Adrien to look at her tray, sighing in relief when she noticed one more was there. She felt Adrien’s eyes still on her like he was trying to figure her out.

She didn’t like that. When he looked at her. What was he doing, sizing her up? So what she wasn’t rich? Does that give him the right to look at her like that? Her body tensed in a defense mechanism, her shoulders squaring like she was ready to fight someone. Ladybug instincts. She swears she saw Adrien’s nails flare and dig into the picnic table, enthralled by the wood, but she couldn’t prove it, so she dropped it.

“Okay, dudes. I’ve got another class soon. Gotta scram. See y’all later!” Nino announced after some awkward silence. Whether he had a class or was just trying to get out of the heavy situation, Marinette couldn’t find out. None the less, he waved to Adrien and Marinette and laid a kiss atop his girlfriend’s head. Marinette smiled at their open subtle adoration for each other. She didn’t see it much, but when she did it was heartwarming. 

“I’ve gotta ‘scram’, too.” The mop scoffed at his friend’s wording. Marinette’s eyes narrowed, was he making fun of him? Whatever... she just looked for the worst in Adrien always. Alya told her it was normal, but she didn’t know whether to believe her bestfriend or her feelings. “Modeling job. I’ll see you guys later.”

“You won’t see me,” Marinette mumbled. Adrien’s head shook in response. His mouth fell before they lit up. She felt like a cartoon lightbulb should be over his head right now. His eyes glowed, and his mouth upturned.

“We’ll see about that. See ya! Bye!” He said, excitedly, following his hasty exit with a jog to catch up to Nino.

Marinette sat agape at the running boy, Alya’s face the same before she choked out a laugh. “Oh… my god! He totally just stood up to you, go Agreste!” Alya caught Marinette’s glare, and she shrugged her shoulders, looking smugly at her best friend with raised eyebrows.

“What does he even mean ‘We’ll see about that’? That makes no sense.” She groaned, her head flopping in between her arms. The smug, smart look on his face made Marinette’s stomach flip flop. She didn’t know why, but she couldn’t dwell on it for long before her best friend piped up in front of her.

Still staring blankly at the two boys, a small smirk grew on her face. “Well. Maybe he’ll take you by surprise one day. You really gotta remember that Adrien isn’t a bad guy. The nicest I’ve met. I don’t even know why you hate him so much, Mari, he does like, nothing wrong.” She said, finally averting her eyes, thrumming her fingers on the wooden table.

Marinette scoffed, adjusting her sitting position so she was sitting on one of her legs, making her taller and seem more confident. “Oh ho ho, Ms. Cesaire, that is where you’re dreadfully wrong. He’s a stuck up know-it-all. He thinks he can do no wrong.”

“That’s probably because he has done no wrong. Why are you still holding a grudge because of something that happened 2 years ago? Please, cut the boy some slack.” She chomped into her celery stick after submerging it in ranch.

Marinette huffed, falling forward onto her elbows, grabbing some of Alya’s food and chewing mindlessly. Through a mouth of celery, she responded to her best friend, “It’s not just that, Alya! Did you see him all ‘I have a modeling job ooo I’m so fancy ooo I’m rich haha you’re not.’” She rolled her eyes, swallowing the celery. Alya laughed at her friend.

“You’re so overdramatic, DC. Look, he’s not the best at conversation, but that’s not his fault. He was homeschooled what, forever! Girl, come on. You’re worsening the problem instead of helping. Just… try talking to him.” She shrugged her shoulders before continuing. “Has he done anything to you? Plus, y’all are way more alike than you think.” Alya laughed through her words.

Ms. DC’s nose scrunched at this news.

Marinette thought about it. Alya was right. He hadn’t specifically done anything to her. Marinette was just stubborn and easily-annoyed, and god, she knew she had always been better than a petty one-sided feud.

Well, at least she thought it was one-sided.

“Does Adrien… like me? Per se?” Marinette asked curiously, enthralled in her thoughts.

“Well, he doesn’t dislike you. God, the boy doesn’t dislike Chloe. I don’t think he has a bad bone in his body. But, he knows you don’t like him. He’s comfortable around you. Maybe too comfortable. I’ve never seen him act around anyone the way he acts around you.” Marinette’s eyebrows raised, her face flushing. What does that mean? Alya continued, “...Like he knows you’ve got a bone to pick with him and he just won’t let it go. God, you two are the most stubborn kids I’ve ever met.”

Marinette snorted at her comment. Okay, so it wasn’t fully one-sided. She didn’t know a reason he would dislike her other than the fact that she disliked him. Marinette groaned, annoyed with her friend for making her think differently of her least favorite person on the planet. 

Well, the third least. After Chloe, and Hawkmoth.

The girl’s head fell into her now folded arms, and she peeked up out of them like a turtle scared to come out of its shell. “What do I even say to him, Alya? ‘Hey, know how I’ve hated you forever? Well not anymore! Let’s be besties!’” She over-acted dramatically, her chin still in the crook in her arms.

Alya copied the girl in front of her so that they were now eye to eye. “You don’t have to be his ‘bestie’, Mari. Just… Give him a chance. He doesn’t even have to be your friend. Just get to know him enough so that he’s a… mutual? How about that? A mutual.”

Marinette’s eyes softened at her friend’s sudden soft, serious tone. “Yeah. Yeah sure. For you, I will. I promise.” She rose her pinky finger up, her friend’s eyes crinkled as a small smile spread across her face. Alya’s pinky found her way to Marinette’s and squeezed the fingers together, shaking them softly, before falling into small soft fits of giggles and snorts.

“I have a feeling you two are going to be closer than you realize,” Alya whispered, still keeping the tenderness in her tone, now also overwhelmed with distraction as she fiddled with the 2 friendship bracelets littering Marinette’s wrist.

Marinette fell into her thoughts, unintentionally drowning out her friend’s rants, comments, and non-sense spewing from her. 

Her brain suddenly fogged and was overwhelmed by thoughts of a particular blonde.

* * *

“Plagg, it’s a brilliant plan!” The blonde said, feeling like a genius, genuinely he had never felt smarter in his life.

“It’s also the stupidest plan ever. What if she finds out you’re Chat Noir? Huh, what then, surfer boy?” His flying black friend said, zooming from ear to ear of Adrien. Adrien scoffed, like that was an impossible thing to happen.

Of course, Adrien didn’t know that Plagg knew about Marinette’s identity. And it wasn’t like Plagg could outright tell him. Plagg slumped onto his holder’s shoulder, rolling around like a cat on a scratchy carpet. “You’re outrageous, Plagg. Come on! Trust me. It won’t be like I’ll go there every night. Just once… Twice at the most. I just need to figure out what her problem is with me.”

“Adrien, not everyone has to like you!” Plagg retorted, letting out a belch that caused Adrien to push the kwami off his shoulder and sigh heavily.

“Yeah, yeah, I know that! But… this is Marinette! Come on, Plagg. Everybody loves Marinette. And Marinette loves everyone. Except me… I just want to know what I’m doing wrong. I know other people that aren’t the fondest of me but… this one just doesn’t feel right. I need to know her. I need to be near her, it’s just been irking me. Is this some… weird cat thing?”

It wasn’t uncommon for miraculous holders to feel this way. Drawn to their partner, especially the ladybug and the black cat miraculous holders; they were each other’s yin and yang. They belonged together. Platonically, romantically, it didn’t matter. They were soulmates one way or another. 

So, in some ways, yes, it was a weird cat thing.  
But it was also a weird miraculous thing. Which changed a lot.

Plagg sighed, floating to meet Adrien’s eyes. Adrien looked up at the kwami, his head tilted and eyebrows furrowed in innocent curiosity. “Sure, kid. You wanna know why she doesn’t like you. You know what they say… Curiosity killed the cat, right?”

Adrien’s lips thinned into a straight line. He shrugged at Plagg’s comment. It made sense. He just had an eager need to know everything; it had nothing to do with Marinette. It was a ‘him thing’, right? Whatever, that’s what he was going to tell himself for now.

“Well. The sun has set. I guess I should get going. Plagg, Claws Out!” The transformation was smooth and relaxing for Adrien. Every time he changed into Chat Noir, his body fell and his heart evened out. No more pressure, no more schedules, just him, his baton, his lady, and the wind.

Well, in this case, it was him, his baton, his foe, and the wind.

He didn’t know if he minded it or not.

He was at Marinette’s in a matter of no time. Zipping through the city, it was a recognizable spot. The bakery. His Mom used to go to that bakery… He shook his head, noticing a stark amount of light coming from atop a balcony. Multi-colored fairy lights and what looked like homemade lanterns illuminated a cozy-looking area, holding a small girl, sitting on a lounge chair, whose nose was stuck in a sketchbook of some sort. He had seen Marinette on this balcony before while swinging around the city late at night, and he was relieved to find her there once more.

It was weird seeing Marinette so relaxed. To him, she was just someone who didn’t like him. But she had passions and skills, and people she did like. It made his stomach churn, he longed for that. He shook his head, he wasn’t here to become her best friend… Just to try and pry it out of her. Nothing more, nothing less.

Carefully sneaking onto the roof, his cat instincts picked in, falling gracefully and silently on his feet above her, his eyes burned at the sudden light after having already been adjusted to his night vision. He shut his eyes tightly, before opening them again, focusing over the girl’s shoulder.

The drawing was innovative, stunning, it was good. She was… brilliant.

He knew she had talent already, having won some of his father’s competitions, and having her designs featured on himself... which was bragging rights enough in itself. But she never did brag. His eyebrows scrunched. After a couple of minutes of watching her delicate fingers trace over lines and fidget with the pencil that every once and a while was stuck in her mouth, he realized he hadn’t yet made his presence known. It was like a trance, watching her work. He thought about the feeling of her delicate fingers through his grungy mane.

The feeling came back. The longing. For her. He didn’t understand it, why her? Of all people, it had to be the one person he knew personally that disliked him. The sudden noise of her light voice made him jump.

“You gonna sit there all night or am I gonna have to spray you with a bottle?” Marinette cocked her head sideways, not making eye contact with the cat behind her, full-on startling Chat to a freezing halt. His cat ears drooped down and he felt his face burn with embarrassment.

“I- Uh- No. I’m coming. I’m here. Hello.” He said, a bit smaller than he intended. This made Marinette’s head jet around to his like a bullet. Their eyes met, there was something in the air. His head felt fuzzy, not being able to focus on Marinette and the thick electric waves between them, connecting their eyes with an unbreakable force. 

She looked confused about why his voice was so meek like she was thrown off by it.  
Almost like she wasn’t used to it.

“Are you alright?” She asked immediately. Chat Noir didn’t know what to say. He blinked twice, his mouth in an o-shape. The concern grew on her face and she bit the inside of her jaw, keeping it from locking in place.

He realized his stammered stance; relaxing a bit as his regular Chat-confidence grew inside of him. His posture heightened and he extended his baton to act as a cane to lean on. “I’m fine, Princess. Just stopping by.”

This wasn’t the first time he had used to nickname on the girl, and it certainly wouldn’t be the last. He suppressed a laugh, settling with a grim smirk as Marinette rolled her eyes at the use of the nickname. Jumping down from the roof, he settled beside her lounging chair, lurking over her shoulder at her sketches. Meanwhile, Marinette’s eyes were still focused on him.

“Chat Noir, what’re you doing here?” She exasperated in an almost scolding manner, his name escaped from her lips in a drawn-out fashion, closing her sketchbook, causing his ears to fall in dismay, and a small kitty pout fell on his face. “You haven’t got anything actually important to be doing right now?” A subtle undertone of alertness hit her voice.

Smiling at her comments, he kept her gaze. “You’re important, too, Princess.”

“And you’re an unnecessary flirt.” She turned to face him, their noses close. She took the opportunity to flick it with her ring finger and thumb, causing a chirp to escape the cat’s throat. “Seriously. What are you doing here?” She continued.

The thought hadn’t crossed Adrien’s mind. His mind spiraled, trying to think of reasons, excuses, some sort of reasonable answer that didn’t make him so suspicious, and also didn’t make her uncomfortable. However, he thinks his silence did that all on its own.

Marinette swallowed, looking strangely scared, “Chat… Is everything alright?”

His mind raced, and his heart thumped at her sudden sound of care and concern that seeped through her words. He felt a more urgent need to answer now than ever. “Everything’s alright, Marinette. I was thinking the other night…” He sauntered off, his head held high, twirling his baton under his fingers, pacing around her chair, now holding an annoyed girl with crossed arms. “I’m Chat Noir. I’m totally awesome. I’m pretty likable. Yet I have no friends.”

Marinette snorted at his claims, each sentence making her giggle harder than the other. She breathed in a sigh, reclaiming herself, “And you came to my rooftop because...?” The last word dragging out in a lull.

“Because I don’t know how to make friends. And I was wondering if I was doing anything wrong. I don't know. You were the first person I thought of, sorry for interrupting your precious beauty time, _Purr-incess_.” His nose locked in with her cheek at the sudden burst of personal space.

Marinette laughed, pushing his smirking face away. “Well, you aren’t looking at the right girl. I’m currently in my own situation with foes that I can’t even figure out myself, so don’t even ask me how to help you.”

Chat’s eyebrow raised. “Yeah? What’s up?” He sat at the end of her chair on his knees in a catlike position, finally settled, which made Marinette physically relax. She brought her knees to her chest, resting her chin atop them.

“Nothing is really... u-up. I just... don’t particularly... like this guy in my school, and my best friend, Alya, wants me to become closer to him. I don’t know, I don’t want to disappoint Alya, I promised her I would try. But… he just… finds a way to bug me so much.” Marinette seethed. 

Chat flushed, knowing fully well the girl was talking about him. His stomach churned with guilt, but he shook it off. _She_ was the one who disliked _him_ after all, and for no good reason! He caught himself from mindlessly rolling his eyes.

“Well, why? Maybe he isn’t as bad as you really think? Maybe he is an awesome, smart, sweet, considerate, fun, sometimes awkward, and off-put, but an all-around genuine and good guy!” He didn’t realize he was rambling until he looked back up at Marinette and she held a suspicious face with her arms now crossed across her chest defensively.

“Wow, didn’t know you were in love with my foes. You probably don’t even know who I’m talking about. I mean, you live in Paris so you most definitely know of him. But… you don’t know him.” Marinette’s gazed dropped and her tone softened.

Chat Noir snorted at the irony of her comment, making her dart her eyes back to his. They locked eyes and Chat Noir played it off with a cheeky grin.

Adrien realized he was exactly where he wanted to be in this conversation. He wanted answers and with barely trying, Marinette was giving them to him. However, he knew it was late, and even though she might not like him, Chat wasn’t going to keep her up all night.

“I’ll cat-ch you soon princess, duty calls!” He winked at her with a click of his tongue. “And by ‘duty’, I mean, hitting the hay.” He jumped to his feet in a smooth move, before turning his back to her and sticking a thumb to his face, his side profile hitting her gaze. “This cat is in for a catnap.”

Marinette giggled softly, and Chat’s throat stopped. He had heard her laugh before, but it never caught him off guard as it did just then. It reminded him of Ladybug’s. Soft and short, but also annoyed at the cat’s performance in front of her. “Good night, Chat Noir.”

Chat’s performance fell. His body was stiff, back facing her. His arms went back to his sides and his ears fell. A sense of calm entered his body, a sense of longing entered his heart. He didn’t want to leave. His feet stuck to the ground like cement. Her voice echoed in his ears.

Good night, Chat Noir.

The voice was calm and steady. It didn’t drip a single ounce of hatred, annoyance, or relief. But care, friendship, acceptance, and ...peace. A tone he never received as Adrien. The tone of her voice was like a drug, a drug worse than catnip. His breath hitched. He forced himself to snap out of it, knowing if he stood any longer she would talk again, and then he knew he wouldn’t leave. He drew out his baton, and without looking back, he carried himself across the rooftops, back to his home where he fell back into his bed with a swift transformation.

“Any revelations, Adrien?” Plagg said, grabbing the cheese that the blonde had ready for Plagg to eat.

“I am... royally fucked.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alya attempts to play a little matchmaker, while Adrien strives to see his new friend again. But of course, not as himself. (+ Ladynoir fluff.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, thank you all so so much for such the positive and immediate feedback of chapter 1! I was not expecting it to get as much positivity as it did, and it made me a tad overexcited and I spent a whole night writing like 3/4 of chapter 2, lol. But here we are!
> 
> I'm struggling a bit with the structure, so some things that don't make sense now will tie together in the end. Really I'm trying to develop Marinette and Chat's relationship, so here we are! That's a lot of the basis of this chapter, is contrasting their relationships as Ladybug, Chat Noir, Marinette, and Adrien!
> 
> Anyway, thanks again so much for the positivity, I really appreciate it! Now onto chapter deux.

You push and you pull and you tell yourself no  
It's like when you lie down, the veins grow in slow

You push and you pull but you'd never know  
I crept up in you and I wouldn't let go”  
 _Push and Pull - Purity Ring_

* * *

The next morning, Marinette woke up to the sound of her trapdoor being flown open. Her blue eyes jetting open, but she made no effort to move. Her head flew off of her pillow at the sweet smell of macaroons and toasted bread. “Oh… Mom! Come on, you don’t have to do this.” Her eyes widened at the platter her mom laid on the edge of her bed.

“Come on Marinette, you’ve been busy lately. It’s the least I can do.” She smiled sweetly. “In return, you can start waking up in time to come downstairs for breakfast.” Marinette laughed awkwardly in return. There’s always a price. She still smiled fondly at her mom.

As much as she appreciated her mom bringing her the sweet treats in bed, her body failed to shield her whole bed from her mom. She sighed in relief once the trapdoor closed, bidding her mom one last ‘thank you.’ Once the room fell silent for a couple of seconds, her blue eyes snapped over to Tikki. She sighed in relief, realizing her kwami had noticed the commotion and was hiding between her pillow and a black cat stuffed animal she had.

“Gosh, Tikki, I’m sorry! Wake up calls aren’t always the best.” She cooed at her friend as the red being flew over to Marinette’s platter, grabbing one of the macaroons and taking a bite.

“It’s okay, Marinette! I’ll wake up startled like that every morning if it means getting macaroons!”

Marinette giggled along with Tikki at her friend’s comment. “Well, at least we know you’ll have some extra energy today, then.” She raked her fingers through her hair, swishing it from one side of her head to the other, and ripped open a piece of bread.

Her mind raced, thoughts flooding back to her from the night before. Her head started pounding at the sudden realization. “Tikki, I know you went to bed soon after this happened, but do you remember when Chat Noir came to my balcony last night?”

Tikki giggled in response to Marinette’s question, “Yes! It was quite strange, but he didn’t act anything out of the usual.” She explained, referring to his cheeky banter and shameless flirting. Marinette scoffed at the thoughts.

“I thought he was going to tell me he knew that I was Ladybug. I was starting to have heart palpitations. If he ever returns… Wait… do you think he’s going to return? I never even got to answer his question of why he was there in the first place! His whole ‘why I don’t have friends’ schpiel, y’ know?” Marinette rambled, taking bites of her bread between words.

Tikki hummed in response to Marinette’s ranting, Marinette put down her bread and sat cross-legged at the end of her bed and continued, “Besides, even though he’s insufferable sometimes, who couldn’t like Chat Noir? Whoever doesn’t like him must be an idiot.”

Tikki giggled like she knew something Marinette didn’t. This caused Marinette to cock an eyebrow at her friend. “Yeah, Marinette. Speaking of- you promised Alya you would talk to Adrien!” Tikki exclaimed, following her holder as she climbed down her ladder, and walked over to her closet.

“I will, Tikki. What am I supposed to say to him? Hey Adrien! I just dislike you so much but for some reason, Alya thinks we are the same person so here I am forcing myself into an uncomfortable situation! Now you respond, mop boy!” She said over-enthusiastically, before dropping the facade with a grimmer expression and a scowl at Tikki.

“I agree with her, Marinette! Not everyone is as they seem. Don’t judge a book by its cover! Every time you’ve been with him alone you loved it!”

“Loved is a strong word, miss.”

“But it’s an accurate word!”

“Okay, okay, fine. I’ll talk to Doctor Blonde. But I won’t enjoy it.” Marinette said finally, before closing her closet in her kwami’s face.

“Marinette I can pass through walls-”

“Shut up!”

* * *

“Marinette! Come on, you promised me!” Alya squealed, slapping her best friend’s arm. Marinette huffed a big breath, throwing her head down.

“I know, I know. I just… What am I gonna say?” She repeated her over-dramatized facade that she gave to Tikki that morning to Alya. Alya rolled her eyes.

“See you would, but that’s not how humans talk,” Alya responded, not amused.

“How would you know, the only people you talk to are us and Nino.” Marinette spat out, not paying mind to what she was saying.

Alya scowled at her friend. “Ya know what, now that I’m thinking, maybe I don’t want you to be friends with Adrien. He’s too nice for your own good.” Alya stuck a tongue out at her friend. Marinette laughed, bumping Alya’s shoulder with her own.

“I am plenty nice. Just not to people who don’t deserve it.”

“Oh, puh-lease. You’ve been nice to Chloe, you could be nice to literally anyone, Marinette. You’re just too stubborn. We’ve had this same talk with him you know? Nino and I. Told him, ‘We don’t know why she doesn’t like you, just talk to her!’ and he would shake his head, saying he wasn’t gonna.” She shot back at Marinette.

Marinette stared at the ground quizically. She couldn’t tell if that made her gain new light on Adrien, or just further deepen the dark one she had on him already. Alya continued when she got no answer from Marinette, “And besides, you’re the one who is always so down in the dumps when he doesn’t show up to school, or movies, or outings, or whatever. That’s on you, Mari.”

Marinette shrugged her shoulders, she couldn’t deny that one. She stilled didn’t know the reason why, but she wouldn’t stop blaming it on her Ladybug instincts. But of course, she couldn’t tell that to Alya. 

They reached the bakery, where Marinette had to leave Alya, and as they stopped in front of the door, Alya spoke. “Hey, how about this, you come over later tonight? I’ll invite Nino and Adrien, and find a way to sneak you two in a closet until you get along?” A wink was supplied with these words, causing Marinette to blush and push her away.

She flung open the bakery door, “I hate you, Alya!” She yelled sternly at her now speed walking friend that was little ways down the crosswalk. She was just replied to with a bunch of laughs and a cheery wave. Marinette returned the wave and closed to the bakery door.

Her phone buzzed in her pocket, and she took it out swiftly, checking the notification.

Alya  
13:21  
 _The offer is still on the table, Mari! Shall I send an invitation?_

Marinette smiled at the text. It would be nice, hanging out with Alya and Nino tonight, even if she was forced to be with Adrien. Her memories rolled to the night before though… What if Chat returned and she was nowhere to be seen? She didn’t like a sad, disappointed kitty, it made patrol much less fun.

Thinking about for a couple of minutes, her thumbs hit the keyboard lightly

You  
13:24  
 _thanks but no thanks xx i’ve got plans anyway, maybe tomorrow? with no blonde mop, thank you!!!!_

She didn’t have to wait long for an answer from Alya. That girl always had her phone out, for a hasty video recording, update, or phone call, she was always on the lookout for her blog. Although sometimes this resulted in text backs in 2 seconds, it also sometimes lasted for not hearing a response for 4 hours, and getting, _Sorry, but guess what!_ as a response.

Alya  
13:24  
 _Ur the lamest person I’ve ever met. Whateva girl, ur loss!_

Marinette laughed at her friend’s response, responding with a different subject before turning her phone off and walking up to their place, and climbing into her bedroom… She didn’t technically know if Chat Noir was coming tonight. But she didn’t want to let him down, and she was undoubtedly curious to finish their conversation.

Sitting on her bed, her back slumped and Tikki flew out to greet Marinette following the school day. It hadn’t been the first time they had talked all day, but now Tikki could fly around and get some air. Marinette fell back onto her bed, groaning miserably. “Tikki do you think he’ll show? I’m starting to regret not taking up Alya’s offer. Maybe she was right… Maybe I should just suck it up, pipe down my stubborn feelings, and talk to him.”

“I’m glad you think so Marinette!” Tikki chirped, diving over to Marinette before continuing, “You know Chat Noir! He’s just about as stubborn as you are! I’m sure he’ll show! And besides, you have lots of time to talk to Adrien. Just text him tomorrow! You’re going to have to stop this grudge sooner or later.”

“Hm. Well, maybe you’re right. Thanks, Tikki.” Marinette smiled and her kwami hugged her cheek.

The two dispersed for a bit, Tikki flying around the room and playing with some toys. The room was silent until Tikki froze. “Uhm, Marinette! Chat Noir needs you.”

* * *

Adrien’s day was the slowest he had had in months. The classes dragged on forever, his photoshoot that only lasted an hour felt like it had gone on for centuries. Plagg slept in his shirt all day, making it impossible to stop the slow, silent purring from tickling him throughout the day, making it just a tad bit harder to get through.

He wanted to go back to Marinette’s.

All-day, it was all he wanted. He didn’t technically have to arrive before dark, but he would’ve felt rude doing otherwise. He would see Marinette in the hallways and have to pinch himself or bite his tongue to stop himself from running up to her and slinging out a pun and a suave flirtatious remark.

He couldn’t do that. He didn’t have that relationship with Marinette. He knew he would see the girl again soon. Pulling out his phone, it showed that it was 18:41. He sighed in relief, it would get dark in just a matter of an hour. Meanwhile, he silently made his way downstairs for his dinner.

The hallways were cold, and his footsteps echoed in the silence. His room was lively and warm, with pictures of his mother, Plagg flying around, and the sound of his computer, TV, or music filling up the silence. Exiting his room was like entering a parallel universe. The universe was spiteful, lonely, sad. It was white and baby blue. It was icy. He shivered and continued to walk forward.

The dining hall was large, enough to fit 4 families and a farm. Slight hyperbole, but depending on the size it could be possible. Adrien sat, his dinner already waiting for him, and not another soul was in the room. He didn’t just want to go to Marinette’s house now, he needed to.

He needed presence. But of all the people that flashed in his mind, hers was the first. The longing feeling came back. For her… For Ladybug. One of them. He didn’t know why Marinette was in this equation at all. Ladybug was his best friend, he loved her with his whole heart. Marinette… Marinette hated him. She didn’t want his presence. Ladybug did.

After a couple of shaky bites of his food, he threw his fork down and then ran upstairs. Plagg had now time to ask what was wrong before Adrien transformed, immediately pulling out his baton and dialing Ladybug. He took a few shaky breaths while waiting for an answer. It took her a bit, but she answered. “Is everything okay, Kitty?”

His body relaxed at the sound of her voice. He sat there agape. Like that was all he needed. The sound of her voice in his ears. He realized he had probably scared her and Tikki with an emergent call. He laughed dryly, a sharp and hoarse “Ha” escaping his throat.

“Chat…? Are you alright?” Her voice was less urgent and more softened. Like she could tell something was wrong. Frowning, Chat Noir hummed in response to her question.

“Thanks, Bugaboo.” He managed, before jumping out of the window and hanging up the call. Her yo-yo could also track him, so he knew if she wanted to find him, she could. But he didn’t propose anything. If she wanted to look for him, she could. But… he knew she would.

He laid atop a roof, smiling sadly at the active road underneath him. Every once and a while he would hear an ‘It’s Chat Noir!’ and he would smile and wave. The sky was now darker, sunset over the horizon, and the streets were clearing out. It wasn’t long before he heard a zipping of a yo-yo from behind him, and two arms snaking over his shoulders.

Chat didn’t reveal too much about himself to Ladybug, her orders, not his. But she knew enough to know that his home life wasn’t the best. He held one of her arms with his hand, and her head crooked into his neck. It was a move she did to make him comfortable. He smiled at her gesture, leaning into her head.

They sat in silence for 30 minutes, watching the sunset creep over the horizon, their breaths were evened out in synchronicity, and there was no tension in the air. Just comfort. Just peace. Just harmony. It reminded him of his encounter with Marinette. His throat didn’t pang like it did earlier that day at the lack of her presence. He felt fine. He hummed at his thoughts.

“You feeling better, Kitty?” Ladybug muttered softly, careful not to move too much.

Chat Noir leaned further into her grasp, a soft purr resulting in such, “Yeah. Yeah, I’m feeling better, thanks. Sorry if I worried you.”

The two split ways an hour later, after small-talk, and watching the fireflies come out. Adrien’s head buzzed as he watched her zip away. Staying on the roof for a bit, making sure his red friend was out of sight, he smiled, taking out his baton and flying his way over to a one Marinette’s house.

* * *

Marinette was sitting on her balcony, curled up in a blanket, and doodling in her sketchbook when Chat arrived the second night. His discomfort when Ladybug left was quickly pushed aside at the sight of the girl. Her pigtails flew in front of her in the breeze, and they sat on her shoulders. She was wearing a heavily oversized black sweatshirt, and the sleeves were bunched up around the wrists to give her leeway for her pencil.

She had just transformed back just moments before. Her mind was still far away, and although she had just seen him, she was more than eager to see him again tonight on her balcony. Maybe he’d stick around longer too. Sighing, she stabbed a blank page in her sketchbook with her pencil, impatiently waiting and dreading the soft wind that would swipe over her balcony every once and a while, tightening the blanket around her.

“Need a cozy cat?” The cat asked slyly. Marinette’s hand dropped from the necklace laying on her chest. She laughed at his remark, turning to face him. “I’ve gotta say, Purr-incess, I’ve always been a cuddler.” He smirked and winked at the girl. Marinette tilted her head and her smile turned to a straight line, her eyebrows were raised as she looked unphased by his cocky remarks. He jumped down from the roof, crawling across her balcony, he settled for a perch on her fence, looking over at her.

“Welcome back, Chat. Here.” She threw a cookie at him happily, and he pounced at it, grabbing it with his two hands. His already grinning mouth shot her a huge, teeth-y smile, before nodding in thanks and taking a bite of the cookie.

Turning his back to her, he looked over the edge of the balcony. “Best in Paris.”

Marinette raised from her seat, walking to stand beside Chat Noir, wanting to lay against him or touch him in some way, but she couldn’t do that as Marinette. So she settled for closeness. That was good enough for now. “Yeah, tell that to my parents.” She responded softly, regretting not bringing her blanket with her as the cool breeze swept the air.

“Damn. It’s getting colder.” Chat pointed out. He was right. It was. And the cold was never a good thing for a ladybug. Marinette’s breath hitched. The air outside was by no means cold, settling in mid-50s Fahrenheit, but the wind started to pick up and the leaves started changing colors. Fall was coming, and with Fall came dropping conditions. And then winter hit. And Marinette wasn’t ready.

The past 2 winters hadn’t been… amazing. To say the least. Chat Noir was more understanding last Winter, especially than he was the first winter together. Their communication was awful at that point, having just become partners and all. The second winter was more bearable, he understood she was weaker, and he tried his best to help, sometimes he didn’t get a hold of her until he already had the Akuma held in his hand, waiting for her to come so she could purify it. She never forgot things like that. It’s what made Chat her best friend, he did anything for her.

Marinette winced, not knowing how to respond to that without giving too much away. Finally, she settled with, “I’m not the keenest with the cold weather.” Chat huffed in response.

“Cold weather isn’t a problem when you’re a mammal, I’ve got fur, _fur_ days!” Chat responded cleverly, leaning to face her. Marinette looked towards him smugly, her eyes radiating positivity and happiness and fulfillment. “So, let’s finish our conversation from my last dazzling encounter, Princess.”

Marinette rolled her eyes, moving so her back was leaning against the railing. “Whaddaya wanna know, Kitty?” She said, flicking his bell. He scrunched his nose in response to her antic.

“Well, you were telling me about this… person, that you don’t like! But, you never told me why you don’t like him, that is.” Chat knew his reasonings were risky and borderline suspicious. But he had no reason to believe that Marinette was suspicious of him and his claims, no matter how much his words were.

Before she could respond, a small “wait” extruded the cat’s lips… Chat noticed she had her arms wrapped around herself tightly, and her shoulders were nearly touching her cheeks in an attempt to warm herself up. Chat spun himself off the railing, swiftly grabbing her blanket, and walked by over to wrap it around her shoulders softly. Marinette didn’t catch his gaze, and he didn’t dare to bring up the deepening pink on her cheeks. His hands lingered on her upper arms, his claws softly rubbing them up and down.

“Warmer?” Chat said and cleared his throat. Marinette nodded softly, finally meeting his gaze.

“So… Uhm, the boy, right…” Marinette said, blinking away from Chat’s prolonged staring battle. “It’s not that he’s a bad person. In all honestly, according to my friends he’s like a saint… A cocky, annoying, and spoiled saint. It’s not really the fact that he’s those things though. Not everyone is as they seem…” Her sentences trailed on softly, sometimes her voice grew stiffer, before slowing back down to a sweet tone like she was trying to forgive him, find a way to make it seem like she wasn’t acting as mean as she genuinely was.

“It’s not fair to him. It’s, quite petty, actually, the reason I dislike him. I don’t know, he just… I haven’t found a way to trust him yet. I think with my brain, not my heart. That sounds cold, but as much as I love helping people, it takes a strong brain to figure out how.” She took a deep breath before continuing. Chat started at her through her monologue, trying not to wince at the words. Chat didn’t say anything, allowing Marinette to continue.

“He never stands up in front of Chloe, this really really mean bitch at my school. Even when she’s attacking his own friends! And he’s friends with her, so why wouldn’t he say anything? It just doesn’t sit right with me. And there was this one girl last year, her name is Lila. She was the biggest liar in the entire world. And he knew it! He was the only other person in my class to agree with me, and he didn’t do anything about it…”

Marinette took another sigh, closing her eyes, her brain weighed down on her. Chat hummed, once it was notable that she was done. He wasn’t… mad? He knew what he was signing up for, he came down here to get criticized to figure out what was wrong. He knew he couldn’t be defensive. That would be suspicious.

His brain reeled. He knew he had the option to leave, to just extend his baton and catapult himself back to his home. But he didn’t want to leave her side, no matter how much her words struck him. His silence and blank, concentrated face, caught Marinette’s attention. She ducked underneath him, trying to make his eye contact. “You alright, Chat?”

Adrien adjusted his jaw, looking her in the eyes with a colder stare than intended. Maybe his response was petty, but so was hers. So, yes, he was upset. Because he knew the reasons behind those things…. She hadn’t confronted him about any of these things. “Have you ever tried talking to him about this? Tell him why? Talk things out…?”

Marinette broke the stare they had, looking down to her feet. “As I said, Alya wants me to talk to him… I just, I don’t know how to. I feel like I’m already too deep in, if I try to talk to him all I’m going to do is come off as more of a bitch to him because I’ll just be looking for the bad... I know he isn’t genuinely a bad guy, and he definitely hasn’t done anything outwardly bad to anyone. But I have morality. All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good people do nothing.”

Adrien had to stop himself from laughing dryly at the irony of that statement. He was a literal superhero. But he couldn’t say that. “Maybe you two just aren’t seeing eye to eye. You’re being close-minded, Mari. There’s always more to the story.”

“I’m aware of this, Chat. I just, don’t want to mess it up. Alya is already so determined to get us together. To be friends, to be… more than that. I don’t know what her angle is.” Chat let out a confused meow at her comment. _More than friends… with Marinette? We haven’t even reached acquaintance yet and Alya is already planning our fucking marriage, that’s typical._ He thought and rolled his eyes.

The thought felt unfathomable, like not in a million years would he and Marinette be that way. Sure, he liked Marinette. He liked this version of Marinette.

He liked Chat’s Marinette.

She couldn’t even have a conversation with Adrien without getting into some argument, or rolling her eyes and huffing away. The thought of being with the Marinette standing in front of him didn’t particularly throw him off. Because the Marinette in front of him was the Marinette he was itching all day to see. The Marinette that he had a pit in his stomach for when he wasn’t with her. The Marinette whose only remedy to the high she put him in, was Ladybug. Was the girl who he deemed the love of his life. She was the only person who could break that. That was a tough bet.

The conversation soon fell silent, and the air was clear. No tension, no electricity, no discomfort. Just the two of them, together, existing with each other. The breeze would blow every once a while, causing Chat to look down at Marinette to make sure she was okay. Most of the time she was, just wrapping the blanket around her tighter. He wanted to touch her but stopped himself from doing so.

_That’s weird, Adrien, don’t do that._ He thought to himself.

Marinette was the first to break the silence, reaching out and grabbing Chat Noir’s wrist. The two made eye contact, and Marinette gave him a cunning smile. That smile reminded him so much of his Lady. Like she had a plan, but she wasn’t going to tell him what it was, she just expected him to know it, and most of the time he did. But right now there was nothing to be alert of, so he cocked his eyebrow at her and tilted his head to his shoulder like a cat.

“Come, kitty!” She said, dragging his wrist down to her room. He thudded on her bed, and she let go of his wrist, climbing down her ladder and falling into her spinny chair, spinning once or twice before she looked over at Chat Noir.

She saw Tikki curled up under a few blankets and pillows she created as a fort under her loft bed. She was so glad Tikki was a silent sleeper, she couldn’t stay out in the chills for any longer. “Sorry. Got cold.” She said, the blanket now stuffed into her lap, sitting criss-cross on her chair, she planted her freezing feet between her thighs and calves to warm them.

Chat laughed into the comforter that he had fallen on. It smelt of fresh bread and an all too familiar vanilla shampoo. Maybe Marinette and Ladybug used the same shampoo? Those are kind of universal things, so he didn’t question it or try to dig any deeper. All guys used the same shampoo basically in his area, so he wouldn’t be surprised if it was the same for most girls.

He rolled over on her bed, feeling a great scratching sensation on his back. He rolled again. And again, and sat up, diving his head down into the comforter before twisting his torso, his head following shortly after. “All purr-fect for me!” He said between flips, a harsh purr vibrating his body, he smiled limply, continuing to roll around.

Marinette laughed at the cat’s actions. Sure, Chat was a cat! But when you’re in the middle of a battle, your miraculous tendencies are usually the last things on your mind. It was a good distraction. But in the middle of the night, with no distractions, and a silent room. Sometimes your tendencies could eat you up. It was unnatural seeing him so, well, cat-like! She couldn’t say she didn’t like it though. She thoroughly enjoyed his purring.

“Now now, kitty, I don’t want cat hair all over my sheets!” She laughed, grabbing a pillow off the floor beside her, and chucked it at the cat. He stared at her, and to Marinette’s surprise, hissed at her, causing her to howl in laughter.

The hissing was definitely a new thing for Marinette. Sometimes he would jokingly do it in battle, but it was very rarely he would hiss at someone, much less herself. She doubled over on her chair, her hands gripping her chest, spinning around on her chair.

She could tell Chat was still looking over at her, and she also knew he had a very annoyed, judged look on his face. “Yeah, yeah, laugh all ya want, princess. This is the price to pay for inviting some stray alley cats into your room. But hey, free pet kitties! All girls love those.” He shot her a cocky wink once she spun her chair around back to face him.

She was still laughing, but it had subsided, for the most part, just heavy breathing and occasional yelps and one-off giggles. The two restored to a casual conversation, talking about classes, the bakery, random topics like puzzles, food, and video games.

Marinette promised Chat that she would beat his ass in Mecha Strike. He didn’t doubt her.

Then Chat froze a bit… _Would_ beat his ass, meaning that he was allowed to come back. Okay, yes, he told Plagg he would only come twice at the most, but what’s the harm? He loves being around her, he can’t be around her as Adrien… But he totally can as Chat Noir. The grin that plastered his face was priceless. Sure, he had a long way to go before he could get to this point as Adrien… but he wasn’t giving up. He needed her in his life and he would do anything he could to keep her there. 

He could finally connect with her, and be there with her. Even if it meant he had to lie to her.

It was a different relationship with Ladybug and Chat Noir than with Marinette and Chat Noir. Ladybug and Chat Noir were professionals, but they were also each other’s anchor. They needed each other to get on with their days. Sure, they were friends. Best friends! But they couldn’t tell each other everything they wanted to. Marinette and Chat Noir didn’t need that… It was a liberal sense of freedom for both of them. Marinette could tell Chat Noir everything she wants to tell him as Ladybug.

She can finally confide in her best friend, and be there with him. Even if it meant she had to lie to him.

They stared at each other with a sense of unknown familiarity. They both knew what they were doing internally... But it was too much to lose. And at the same time, they both blinked and thought to themselves.

_God forbid we ever lose each other._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ok did i get ahead of myself with the ladynoir? maybe, but i was also watching a ton of ladynoir episodes and i love them so so much so i don't care
> 
> anyway, i hope you all enjoyed chapter 2! my babies are lying to each other and they're proud of it, well, no, they're not. but we'll get into that later ;) I'm so excited for everyone to see where this story goes, and I'm so happy you are all enjoying it so much! Until next time... :D
> 
> (P.S, like I said before. This is a slow burn fic, and it's gonna take quite a while before we get to where we need to get to! So buckle up buttercups. This is just the beginning! <3)
> 
> xoxo, Emma


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette attempt to get used to staying up late to see each other. Marinette slips up a bit, or maybe Adrien did! A tiring day full of tired day things. And a heart-boiling talk in the back of a car.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks so much for the kudos and comments. I am immensely grateful. I love reading and responding to every comment! I love this story so much, literally I have a whole ass Google Drive for it. Ya gurl is dedicated please give me credit. Lmfao
> 
> Schedule: TBD

That you were out of my league  
All the things I believed  
You were just the right kind  
Yeah, you were more than just a dream”  
 _Out of my League - Fitz and the Tantrums_

* * *

The next week was long enough, waiting all day, every day, for the night to come. Adrien and Marinette were physically more inpatient during the days, but they would never actually admit it to themselves that they were being impatient.

_Come on, you see this person every day, anyway, it’ll be fine._

They both knew it wasn’t the same.

Adrien woke up Saturday morning at the sound of his alarm. And he knew the second that alarm went off, his schedule was beginning. He sat up and stretched his arms, poking at Plagg once or twice to get an annoyed groan in response from the kwami. “Ugh, Adrien! No normal 16-year-old wakes up at 7:00 on a Saturday! Besides, we cats are nocturnal creatures. And when you’re out seeing your damsel in distress until 1 in the morning every day, I’m suffering! We like the night but only when we can sleep through the DAY!”

“Hush up and eat your cheese, Plagg. We have a long day and it’ll be even longer if there’s an Akuma.” Adrien said, laughing through his slurred and tired sentence, and throwing a wedge of camembert at Plagg. “And she’s not a damsel in distress. She’s a friend.”

Plagg didn’t hesitate to gobble up the cheese, immediately forgetting about his whole tired rant, and instead went on to tease Adrien about his new friend. “Yeah, a friend who hates you. And a ‘friend’ who you visit for 6 hours at a time, at night. Honestly, just sleep over there.”

“Okay, first of all, that is an awful idea and you know why. I could transform back at any minute. That would ruin everything. The whole purpose of me doing this is because I want to get to know her. And it’s working! She’s one of my friends now. Plus, I don’t wanna have to give her the burden of having to deal with you.” He teased at the end, poking Plagg’s stomach.

“Pfft, well you’re sucking at that already. Your little stunt in class yesterday wasn’t the most subtle thing in the entire world, y’ know!” Plagg yelled, zipping around his room. Adrien buried his face in his hands, an embarrassed knot growing in his stomach.

Okay, so he slipped up. So what? He knew it was going to happen eventually. And he knows it will happen again.

_Friday was an abnormally sucky day. It was his last class of the day, but Adrien had a 4-hour photoshoot, some event to go to for his Dad’s company, and a banquet after the event. He had no idea how long he’d be out but he knew he wasn’t getting back to his home anywhere before 10:00._

_Adrien knew Plagg was sleeping because he heard the vibrations through his chest. The feeling lulled him as he fell, his cheek slumping against the palm of his hand. He kept shutting his eyes tight before opening them again, trying to regain some sort of energy. So what? He was at Marinette’s until 4 in the morning. She was visibly exhausted too, kept slumping in her posture and her eyes were daring to close._

_After the class, they all went to lunch. Adrien, Nino, Alya, Marinette, Nathaniel, and Marc. The group walked to the sushi place laughing, talking, and Marinette and Adrien followed behind tiredly, ineptly listening to what the group was trying to talk about. “Mari, girl, you good? You look like you haven’t slept in a week.”_

_Marinette laughed like Alya wasn’t far off. Adrien’s head perked at this. He didn’t stay at her house late _every night_. Last night they just lost track of time, other than that he had left her house before 1 ever hit the clock. “Yeah. I’ve started catsitting.”_

_Adrien snorted at her comment. Causing some heads to dart to his, including Marinette’s. “What, Agreste? Not a cat person?”_

_“I find cats paw-sitively claw-some, thank you very much.” He joked, causing her to roll her eyes in sheer annoyance. He didn’t expect much. He made the same puns at Chat Noir, but these puns weren’t coming from Chat Noir. These jokes weren’t coming from someone she actually enjoyed spending time with, they were coming from Adrien Agreste. And last time he checked, she didn’t like Adrien Agreste._

_“You’re not clever, I hear those all the time.” Marinette scoffed back. Okay, so, Adrien took the opportunity. It was fun to push Marinette’s buttons. And being her enemy along with her friend, he knew exactly what got her to put a foot right over the edge._

_“What? Does your kitty talk? Or do you speak _meow_?” He said, his hands stuffed in his pockets. The two weren’t as slumped anymore, Marinette holding her shoulders back and her chin down in a dominant state of utter annoyance._

_“You are thoroughly insufferable, Adrien.” She said, her arms crossing over her chest._

_“Am I? Or was I just pulling your tail?” He leaned in a very Chat Noir-styled manor over her shoulder, his nose facing her cheek._

_“Adrien, I swear to the Lord--” She started, arms now at her side, completely stiff, and her wrists bent in an L-shape._

_“What, cat got your tongue?”_

_She was seething now, her ears were bright red, and he couldn’t tell if it was because of embarrassment, or something else. But he couldn’t think of anything else it could be. He didn’t have much more time to think before she spun on her heel to face him, making him and everyone else stop in her tracks. “Chat!” She squealed, her hand coming up, and pulled his ear like she would when Chat Noir annoyed her…_

_He froze. She froze. They all froze. His heartbeat picked up… _God, am I that obvious? I thought she wouldn’t know the better. Those are pretty common cat puns, plus I spit puns all the time as Adrien… God, this is gonna be awkward__

_He was still frozen. Did she know? He didn’t know. Her posture slumped like she wanted to fall into a hole and never come out of it, her cheeks flamed bright red and Adrien’s eyes were bulging. Waiting for her to say something, just in case he accidentally revealed himself to all his unknowing friends._

_She removed her hand from his ear, clutching her purse that was weirdly shaking a bit. “Sorry…” She said, and swallowed, her mind was racing a mile a second, and her throat was clogged. “I- Uh… It was an instinct. A friend of mine, he does that a lot. Joking… Jokingly. Sorry. I- Uhm, I gotta go, I gotta help my parents at the bakery. I’ll see you all later, goodbye!”_

_Suddenly Adrien wasn’t as tired anymore._

The thoughts made him cringe, but he cleared it up with Marinette that night because she mentioned how she was “spending too much time with him.” In a teasing matter. The thought just allowed him to make as many cat puns as he wanted for the rest of the night, so he didn’t care. However, just thinking about it made him stammer and made his body freeze. He knew how strict his Lady was on identity, and she would kill him if she found out someone knew about his.

And he didn’t want to get his ass beat by her, again, if that happened.

“Have you ever thought of trying to get Marinette’s phone number?” Plagg groaned. “Y’ know you can text her then! Then we wouldn’t have to visit her at 4 in the morning, or lie to her every day?!”

Adrien thought about it. “Wait, you mean and text her as Chat? Oh, and then what, genius, she’s going to call me one day with the group and my phone is going to go off, or I’m going to be added to a group chat and she’s gonna have a conniption because Chat Noir is in her group chat.”

Plagg took an over-dramatic heavy sigh. “No Adrien, I meant as yourself! God, kid, you need to catch up. Then you could develop your relationship without being behind the mask. Besides, you lied to me so you could at least make up for it by giving me one night of peaceful beauty sleep.”

“Plagg, you sleep in my shirt all day every day, you’re fine.” Adrien started, flicking his kwami’s head, much to his dismay. Adrien got up, walking over to the bathroom and sticking his toothbrush in his mouth; “Beshides, I can zoo that, but zen she’d nesher zanna shalk ta’ me zagain, and I’d be sharting from shcratch!” He spits out his toothpaste hardily.

“The only reason you went over to her house in the first place was to figure out _how_ to start from scratch, is that really that bad of an idea, then?” Plagg continued to argue.

“Well, I like her when she talks to Chat. All she did today was just nail in that she didn’t like me as Adrien. There’s not much I can do about that yet since she obviously isn’t changing her mind any time soon. So… With Chat Noir, I can actually talk to her! Come on, Plagg, I’ve grown fond of her.” He retorted, jabbing his finger on Plagg’s forehead. Plagg just groaned again, taking a slice of cheese from his camembert shrine and throwing it in his mouth.

“So, you’re taking the easy way out! I never thought I’d see the day…”

“It’s not the ‘easy way out’! It’s just a practical way to the end. When we’re actually friends! And once we are, I won’t stop visiting her as Chat. Or I’ll make an excuse to not have to anymore. I don’t know. But I like her like this… Plagg, I want to see her like this!” He grumbled, causing Plagg to make a disgusted noise out of his mouth. “Whatever. I told Ladybug I’d meet her in like 15 minutes, so no more lolly-gagging, let’s get to it, Plagg, Claws Out!”

The transformation was hasty, and he still had 45 minutes until his real schedule started, but this was definitely on it. He would always make time out of his day to see Ladybug. They had just recently started morning patrols because she noticed that some things that went on late at night also happened fairly early in the morning, as the sun rose and before shops had opened yet. She always had an eye out for those things, while Adrien didn’t give much thought into it. He didn’t give much brain-powered thought into most things. But his heart realized that there were people hurt just as badly in the morning, and that made him agree to it. Besides, he was already used to early morning wake-ups anyway.

When he met Ladybug, she was sitting on the edge of a roof, her hands behind her, keeping her upright. He immediately could tell that she hadn’t gotten any sleep. Her eyes were bloodshot, and her lips were chapped, and her skin was pale. The red of her sclera brought out the blue in her eyes, and she looked like she was crying, but he knew she wasn’t because he was well aware of what that really looked like. Her eyes always were very glossy when crying, these were dry and lost.

“You need some beauty sleep, M’lady?” He said, acting like he didn’t need just as much sleep when he flipped down to sit next to her. She rocked back and forth on her hands, mumbling nonsense, before falling onto his shoulder, her eyes shut, starting to snooze off. He grabbed her knee, squeezing it once, causing her to jump and squeal. Ticklish.

“Wake up, wake up! Let’s just get this patrol done, and then we can have a little cat nap! I’ll need it too, y’ know cats are nocturnal.” He said, shooting her a wink. He stole Plagg’s words, but sometimes Plagg gave him good material.

“You’re insufferable, Kitty.” She retorted, laughing at the end of her sentence.

He flinched at the phrase, a surpass of deja vu rinsed through his body. He shook it off, standing up, and picking her up from her stomach and lifting her so that her back was on his shoulder like he was a big burly man holding a sack of flour. “Come on, patrolling awaits us.” Ignoring her limp figure, he placed her down on the roof, putting her in her normal nightly starting position, and he walked to his.

“3…” She said. It was similar to a race for them, like a game. Sometimes, especially at night, they made it into the most ultimate tag game ever. But neither of them had the energy to do that right now, even though Chat’s cat instincts made him really want to pounce right now.

“2…” He said afterward. They looked at each other with the same sneaky smirk plastered onto their faces, and their eyes glared at each other as if they were sizing up their enemy. Chat Noir growled a bit, rumbling. Ladybug had to suppress her giggle, trying to keep her game face. She was too stubborn to give that up.

Then, the biggest grins plastered their faces as they both yelled loudly “1! Go!” They both jetted off, one red-suited girl launching her yo-yo to the nearest hook, grabbing on and swinging across the streets, laughing as she saw her best friend to the west of her, flipping over and using his silver baton to launch himself across buildings. They were both very close to each other, and there was no clear winner yet.

Ladybug kept running, zipping and flailing around the town, looking through each alleyway, street, and any window she could. The tiredness that ached in her bones quickly was replaced with energy and the sense of the wind against her face. It sent a familiar, welcoming sensation through her. She loved being Marinette. Being able to be there with her friends, and help whomever she could wherever she could. But being Ladybug was fulfilling. It made her feel like she had a greater purpose in life. She didn’t feel less as Marinette, but she felt complete with being Ladybug as well as Marinette. She didn’t know who she would be if she didn’t have Ladybug in her life. It made her who she is.

Becoming closer and closer to the starting spot (which was also the final spot), she smirked when she didn’t see her black cat anywhere around. She won patrols a lot. Chat had a trend of stopping and helping an old woman cross the street, or buying a kid a churro, since his patrol areas were in the more busy places of the town, while Ladybug’s were more secluded and neighborhood-like. Their patrol routes were chosen years ago, and neither of them ever changed. They were extremely used to it now, and they couldn’t even think of changing them.

Waiting for a little over 5 minutes back at the start, Ladybug started getting impatient. Normally, he showed up just a couple of seconds after, a couple of minutes at the most. She was also, exhausted. Chat left her house last night at around 1 am, and after that, she was sewing until 5. She forbade herself from sleeping, knowing she would sleep through patrol if she dared to close her eyes at that point. Her body was sluggish, and she barely got any sleep the night before the last, as well. She needed to talk to Chat about a proper schedule.

Her stomach churned in guilt. She hated lying to him, but she loved being with Chat. It took her mind off of things, and she got to hang out with him as more a friend, and she didn’t need to bug Tikki every time she wanted to do so. Her heart ached for Plagg, his kwami, at the thought of it. She could get to know him more, and that’s all she cared about. It also severely brought her mind out of Adrien. She didn’t know what was worse, the way that one of the only people in the world she doesn’t like she has this longing need for or the fact that the only remedy of the need was Chat Noir.

_Not to mention you’ve called Adrien Chat now. Nice going, dumbass._

She cringed at the memory. She didn’t mean to! It was how Chat Noir teased and pushed her buttons, and she always responded with basically the same thing. If it was Chat Noir in his shoes and not Adrien, the scold would have been more playful. But she was more annoyed and angry than giddy and goofy. She couldn’t have Adrien figuring out about her relationship with Chat Noir. Or any of her friends for that matter. It would be way too confusing to explain, and it would be even harder to explain without accidentally revealing her identity to them. And she wasn’t going to put anyone in that place. Even Adrien. It was too dangerous for anybody to know their identities, and she vowed to Master Fu to keep it that way. Her heart hammered. She missed him so much.

She was so happy it was a Saturday, for she could go home and sleep all day. Getting more impatient, she took out her bugphone, and tapped on his contact, calling him. It didn’t take him long to answer. What she didn’t expect was hearing people screaming, and him running and panting. “Hey, bugaboo!”

“Chat! What’s going on?” She said panicking, her hand gripping her side, before realizing her yo-yo was in her hand. She sighed, starting to run and flip over the buildings.

“Early Akuma attack! Hawkmoth must be a morning person.” He screamed a bit into the phone.

“Yeah, well I’m not,” Marinette mumbled back, before hanging up and swinging her yo-yo across the town.

_It was gonna be a long day._

* * *

And a long day it was. Marinette didn’t get back in her bed until 9 am. Which was still early, but she had battled that Akuma for 2 hours. It was the most draining Akuma attack the two had had in a while, recently the Akumas were getting more and more difficult. The Akuma was just a pressed teenage girl whose mom wouldn’t let her out of the house to see her friends. Chat Noir was weirdly considerate and sensitive, even taking her home himself, which he didn’t even enjoy doing. It was weird seeing him volunteer to do it himself.

Tikki had passed out on her bed immediately, and Marinette’s eyelids were so heavy, she could sleep standing up. She felt her head pounding with exhaustion. Maybe she should rethink this whole morning patrol thing when she got little to no sleep every night.

She couldn’t blame Chat Noir. Sure, it gave her more of a motive and reason for staying up. She loved spending time with her kitty. However, she had never had the most timely sleep schedule. Whether it was a school project, something for student leadership, a birthday present, homework, miraculous training, miraculous education, sewing, or studying, she barely ever got any sleep anyway. It was the same thing! She just had some company now. It wasn’t like she had any time in the day to do what she needed to. She wondered if Chat Noir had the same problem? She agreed to herself to talk to him about it at their next nightly patrol.

Taking out her phone as she slumped down next to Tikki on her bed, she realized she had gotten some notifications during the Akuma fight.

Alya  
08:21  
 _Gurlll answer your phone! We’re all going out today whether you like it or not. Me, you, Nino, Adrien, Marc, and Nate. 11! Movies and lunch! Beeeee thereeeee._

Alya  
08:23  
 _And you better not be all weird with Adrien and run from him like you did yesterday_

Marinette groaned, throwing her face into her pillow, jolting Tikki awake. She muffled a fake sob. “Marinette! Are you okay?” Tikki yelped.

“This day isn’t over any time soon, Tikki,” Marinette whined, still talking into her pillow, and her arms laying by her side, phone clutched in hand.

* * *

Adrien groaned at the sudden news and internally hated Nathalie for letting him go to the movies on such short notice. For the first time, ever. She said it was fine because it interfered with his free time, and the only things surrounding it were study hours and his fencing lesson with Kagami. Both of which were adjustable and could be rescheduled easily. On any other day, he would sigh in relief at the break from his schedule and the getting to spend the day with his friends.

But he just really wanted to sleep.

Maybe he could fall asleep during the movie and nobody would notice? Or he could just tell Alya he was exhausted and would instead spend the new free time at Nino’s on his bed sleeping soundly? But he knew he wouldn’t. He wasn’t going to let his friends down by agreeing to hang out with them one out of a million times and ending up backing out last second for personal gain. Besides, not that it was on his mind at all, but it would probably rub Marinette the wrong way.

He didn’t expect the purr to escape at the thought of her name. His eyes grew wide, looking over at Plagg as he was about to grab his phone and head out of the house. “Plagg--”

Plagg zipped over to him from the other side of the room where he was getting a stock of camembert for the movie. He was still tired from the Akuma attack, but he had slept for a couple of hours between then and now, and he was going to sleep again during the movie. Adrien knew that, and he expected nothing different from his friend. “What?” Plagg whined. “Are we leaving yet? I’m ready to sleep and eat cheese!” He yipped excitedly, spinning around Adrien in the air.

Adrien would have laughed. If he wasn’t frozen from his actions. “Plagg, I just purred. Out of nowhere. Last time I checked, I only did that when being touched, or pet… Why did I just purr with nothing to trigger it?”

“Were you thinking of something? Or someone?” Plagg teased, pushing his body against Adrien’s cheek. Adrien rolled his eyes, pushing the kwami off of him. Adrien thought about it… He couldn’t remember who or what or whatever he was talking about. He shook it off. Maybe just weird cat hormone shit. He still didn’t understand all the tendencies. He and Ladybug had only talked about it a couple of times, obviously uncomfortable and unsettled by the topic. So, they avoided it. Ladybug also defended saying it could give away clues about their identities.

If they did know each other outside of the masks, they could unintentionally pick up on things their friends are doing that channel each other’s tendencies. Ladybug wouldn’t let that happen, and as much as he longed for it, he respected her thoughts. He had no chance of changing her thoughts anyway, she was the guardian of the miraculous. It made him cringe knowing his best friend was technically his boss.

Shaking off the previous events, he let his kwami fly into his shirt, and grabbed his phone, stuffing it into his pocket. Making his way out of the house, they all agreed to meet at Marinette’s. His throat vibrated again. He suppressed it as he slid into the back seat of Gorilla’s car. Of course, he still had to be chaperoned everywhere. But, they agreed to let him ride with his friends from Marinette’s and the movies to the park.

As he got closer and closer to Marinette’s bakery, the knot in his stomach churned. He was going to be close to Marinette, all night. Listening to her talk, and giggle. And he couldn’t behave as Chat because the last time he did that, it didn’t go exceedingly well. He cringed at the memory. He doesn’t think there will ever be a point when he doesn’t. It was just too soon.

He got lost in thought the rest of the way there, trying not to fall asleep as he was pacified by the vibrations against his chest, and trying to think of ways to talk to Marinette. He knew she liked video games, and he also liked video games. That could be a start. He took a deep breath when he realized they had reached the bakery. He nodded over to Gorilla and made his way into the shop.

Marc and Nate were inside, and the two were waiting for Marinette to come downstairs. Alya and Nino would be picking them up. They were standing by a row of croissants, leaning against the glass, both on their phones and talking to each other at the same time. They noticed Adrien and waved at him to come over. Adrien smiled, his tense state deflating at the sight of his friends. Marc and Nathaniel were always together, and they never admitted it but they were together. Marinette called it her excellent gaydar, meanwhile Alya would just say, “Marinette they literally kissed the other day, that’s not a gaydar!”

Adrien would have to stifle his laughter.

The three got into a conversation, talking about the movie they were seeing, the snacks and drinks they were gonna get, where they were going for lunch, meeting up again in the future, and eventually it led to random topics like pool games and Twitter. Their conversation was interrupted by loud talking.

“Come on, sweetie! Take a couple for the road, please!” Adrien heard a familiar man’s voice call out behind the doors that led up to their apartment. He heard a familiar groan and whine and muffled words back to the deeper voice. He couldn’t help the smile that replaced the neutral look on his face. Marinette.

Marc and Nathaniel started laughing at her dad’s antics, along with Marinette’s exasperated reactions. “Uh, Mr. Dupain, I don’t know what Mari is denying but I’ll take 20.” Another familiar voice rang out, accompanied by the familiar sound of the bakery bell. Alya. The two boys’ laughter heightened. Adrien cracked another smile, making eye contact with Nino.

He slapped his palm against Nino’s and drew him in for a short hug, completed with a slap on the back. “Sup, dude!” Nino said, in his signature Nino fashion. Adrien couldn’t help but smile at this. He was his 2nd best friend in the world. Next to Ladybug, of course. But he couldn’t exactly say that whenever he wanted to.

Adrien responded to Nino with a small hello, before turning his focus back to the back of the bakery, where Tom came out, luring out his daughter with a couple of cookies. “Dad, go away! It’s not my fault you overbaked for the millionth time. I’m not taking your cookies!” Marinette cried from behind the wall. Tom gave up, stuffing one of the cookies in his mouth, and handing the rest over to Alya, who laughed cheerfully and handed one to Nino.

Marinette came stomping out from behind the wall, and Adrien repositioned himself. The purr snuck up his throat again, and he struggled to contain it. She didn’t look any different, well, she looked amazing, but she always did to him. His throat stuck when her full body came from behind the wall.

She was wearing the pink ballet flats that she always wore, along with black tights, a loose pink skirt, and a fuzzy white sweater. Her hair was normal, except she had pink ribbons tied into each pigtail. It reminded him too much of his lady to not laugh a bit to himself. He never thought he’d be comparing his best friend to his enemy, who also happened to be one of his friends, but she didn’t need to know that. His eyes stayed plastered to her profile as she hopped over to Alya, her bag bouncing along her hip.

Marc looked over at Adrien, and elbowed him, “Cat got your tongue, Adrien?”

To say the comment threw him off was an understatement. He let out a yelp, looking over at his black-haired friend with wide eyes. “Huh? What? What makes you say that?”

Marc just laughed softly at Adrien’s reaction, before returning to whatever conversation he was having with Nathaniel.

The group began their way out of the bakery and into Nino’s car. Well, Nino’s mom’s car. It was enough to fit everyone. Alya and Nino took the front seats, and since they knew if they sat three in the middle, there would be someone sitting alone. Immediately, Marc and Nathaniel said 2 to a row. Just what Adrien wasn’t hoping for… Or maybe he was? He didn’t know. He knew Marc and Nate would sit together, which would leave him and Marinette alone in the back of the car.

He didn’t know if that was too soon or not. Would he start a conversation? What would he say? Would they end up not talking at all because that’s definitely _not_ what he wants! But alas, he found himself sitting beside Marinette in the back of the car, an empty seat between them and no eye contact. He ignored Alya’s constant peeks through the driver’s mirror to the back of the car.

_This is your chance Agreste. You can talk to her! As yourself, you don’t have to show any of your Chat qualities. Not yet, that would be too suspicious. Come on, kid. Toughen up. You talk to her every single night, you’ve rolled around on her bed for crying out loud! She didn’t… know that, but that doesn’t mean you should be any less comfortable around her. So what if she looked really cute in this outfit she looked cute all the time, and besides, you’ve seen this girl in her pajamas, one step forward and you-_

His thoughts were cut off by her voice. It was small, but it was confident. She knew what she was saying, but she didn’t quite know if what she was saying was the right choice. He recognized the tone. “Sorry.” Was the only word that came out of her mouth.

Adrien didn’t respond, but his head darted over to hers. Their eyes met. He flinched, feeling guilt puddle into his chest. Like he was cheating. He was cheating… But look at those eyes! He couldn’t lose those eyes. And he couldn’t stop now. He cleared his throat after a long stare. “Uhm… uh… For… what?” He asked sheepishly. He could tell she was holding back a needed eye roll. Even he knew what she was apologizing for, he just didn’t want to sound stupid. Which failed, but…

“For uhm, snapping at you. Yesterday. I didn’t mean to be so harsh.” A new tone took her voice. The two rows in front of them were bumbling with laughter and another conversation about who knows what because he couldn’t focus on them. For a split second, his mouth twitched, forming a small smile.

And even though the car felt frozen in time as he looked at her, so happy to hear the words come out of her mouth, the only ones that managed to come out of his, were “Yeah.” Let’s just say, the magic died. Marinette’s eyebrow cocked, obviously taken aback by his response. His eyes widened and his mouth stammered, “N-No! Sorry! I meant thanks! Thanks. Thank you. I, accept your apology. And, to add to that, I’m sorry! For… going too far. With the jokes. I just... wanted to be your friend.” He admitted. His eyes never left her face, and they were still glued to hers.

“My friend?” She asked, her eyebrows now furrowed in confusion like she couldn’t believe those words in a million years.

“Yeah! Your friend. I… Heard you like Mecha Strike! I also, love Mecha Strike.” There it was, the video games. He silently applauded himself for his brilliant idea. He knew Plagg would high five him if he could. Well, maybe he wouldn’t. But Adrien liked to believe he would.

“You? Like Mecha Strike? I thought video games were a waste of a model’s time?” She said snarkily, with a hint of hatred beneath her words. Okay, baby steps. They were talking! That’s all that was needed. Baby steps, Agreste.

“What? No. Not at all, sure schedules are tight but that doesn’t stop me from staying up until 3 kicking ass.” He said smugly. He felt his heart skip a beat when he noticed her shoulders slouch. They weren’t tense anymore, and she was relaxed. Like his seemingly normal comment made her happy. He made her happy! Okay, maybe that was a stretch and even he knew it.

But her shoulders slouched! He suppressed the need for his heart to lurch out of his chest.

Baby steps. He was getting somewhere. _Finally._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> AWH i love them okay, i get giddy about my own writing please sue me. however this kinda du-pained me because there's no marichat but it's okay there will be next chapter.
> 
> okay anyway, i hope you enjoyed the chapter! adrien is a ball of sunshine, he's trying his hardest. also yes marinette is a style icon and if the show would just do her justice and give her a cuter outfit i'd pay like 1,000,000 dollars because my girl deserves BETTER
> 
> please rant about this with me in the comments because mrs fashion icon marinette dupain-cheng would never, also adrien who the fuck is telling you to cuff your shirt to your FOREARMS i want to talk to them
> 
> can't wait for y'all to see the next chapter!
> 
> xoxo, Emma


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The diner and movie date ensues, and Alya and Nino have some theories about the last Akuma battle. Adrien gets somewhere with Marinette and almost screams about a million times. Chat Noir visits Marinette, and Plagg throws a new realization into his holder's face.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, chapter 4. I rewrote this chapter about a bajillion times. These first few structure chapters are confusing as fuck, but it's okay. I kinda get Plagg to explain it all to you in the end, and don't worry, I'll provide information in the ending notes.
> 
> Fluff ensues, please be warned. AKA Marinette teases Adrien and PURRING happens.
> 
> Thank you for the comments and kudos! I love hearing what you all have to say, and I'd love to keep listening! <3

Girl, you're gonna take me back to a time  
when I loved and I meant it  
Girl, you're gonna save me,  
Give me a chance, it's worth taking  
_Girl - Jukebox the Ghost_

* * *

The car ride didn’t last much longer. Adrien and Marinette sat in the back, still very awkwardly shuffling, but they kept a conversation. A long, way too drawn conversation. About Mecha Strike. Adrien could tell when Marinette thought he was bragging, she would purse her lips and awkwardly scratch behind her ear. He would sidetrack with an offer, or change the subject completely. His heartbeat went off the charts at least 20 times per minute. But, he felt comfortable. He was talking to her, and although the topic was stiff, it felt natural talking to her.

“We’re almost there, dudes!” Nino shouted from the front of the car, proceeded by a large ‘whoop’ from Nathaniel, a laugh from Marc, and a ‘yeeesssss!’ from Alya. Marinette and Adrien were too tired to react, but they both smiled.

“You look tired,” Adrien said, looking back over at Marinette. She brought a blanket with her, and it was stuffed on her lap. He remembered the time she told him that she got cold easily, especially in the Fall and Winter. Marinette looked over at him and hummed, shrugging her shoulders a bit. The bags under her eyes were prominent. “Did you get any sleep?”

He already knew the answer was no. He didn’t leave her house that late last night, but she was complaining a bit about some of the work she had to finish, she even said herself she was probably going to get little to no sleep that night. He knew when Marinette put her mind to something, she didn’t back down. It was a very cat-like habit of her. However, cats just like their territory. Marinette never gave up, once she had set her mind to something, she would figure out this long convoluted plan, and deep dive into it. She only liked things she could control, and Adrien admired that about her. Adrien was not the same in any way. He just said wait he felt, whenever and however he liked. Okay, maybe not whenever, and maybe not everything. He did have a strict father and a celebrity status on his shoulder that he needed to keep in check. But, as Chat Noir, he held nothing back.

That’s why he’s so forward about his infatuation with his partner. It had never been something he hid from her, and he knows it never will be until he moves on, or of course until she falls for him inevitably. He knew it would happen one day. But at this moment, talking to Marinette, his lady was the furthest from his mind.

“Well, uh, no…” She said shyly like she would get reprimanded for the confession. Adrien laughed slightly, which visibly made the girl in front of him relax. He could tell she wanted more than anything to just sleep. “I was going to sleep this morning after meeting with a friend, but then Alya texted me, and that went all out of wack as I also had to help pere in the bakery, and here we are.”

“I’m sure Alya won’t mind if you take a nap during the movie! Besides, you already have a blanket.” He noted, she nodded. He smiled. He liked this. It was in no way how comfortable he was with her as Chat, but he was talking to her and she was talking back! And she would laugh, and smile, and respond to his comments without a snarky remark. God, he could really get used to this. He wanted to get used to it, at least.

Feeling the car stop, they looked outside and realized they had reached the cinemas. “Pardon!” Marinette chirped as she asked Nathaniel and Marc to let them out of the backseat. “Merci, Marc.” She sighed in relief as they let the seats down for them, and the two boys glanced at each other with a knowing look. Adrien climbed out after her, putting the seat back up and closing the car door. They looked at each other and nodded awkwardly before following the group.

* * *

Of course, they were forced to sit next to each other at the movies.

Of course, the only open seat was next to Marinette at the diner where they got lunch.

Of course, Marinette had to sit with him in the back on all car rides.

Marinette was starting to think this was another one of Alya’s plans to try and force her and Adrien to interact. She glared at her friend, taking a strong bite of salad. To say Marinette had ordered a lot was an understatement, but she found it a bit more comforting that Adrien ordered just as much, and maybe more.

The diner was buzzing, people sitting all around them, loud chuckles, forks slapping. Marinette wanted to shove her fingers in her ears, and so did the rest of the table. Except for Adrien. She looked at him, and he looked unphased by the people around him. Almost as if he couldn’t hear them. Marinette furrowed her eyebrows, saying his name a couple of times, but ended up with no answer. She elbowed his arm, and he immediately whipped his head to her.

With a crying yelp, he jumped, “Ow! What was that for?” Adrien sighed, rubbing his arm. Marinette laughed teasingly at his way too overdramatic reaction. Adrien forced down the blush that was reaching his cheeks at the all too familiar giggle. _I made her laugh… Sure, it was my pain that made her laugh, but I still did it!_

Marinette looked at him, a smile still on her face. “I said your name like 5 different times, Agreste.” Her voice was heightened to try and talk over the surrounding noise. Adrien’s eyebrows etched downward in confusion, then he shrugged and took a big bite of eggs. She rolled her eyes at his nonchalance, but she was relaxed. Adrien’s eyebrows peaked at this. She didn’t do it in pure annoyance, or anger. It was the same eye-roll he got as Chat… That goofy, buttons pushed eye-roll. He beamed, as his smile was too much to contend.

The diner slowly but surely cleared out as it reached closer to 2 pm. The diner closed at 2, but Alya said she had special connections with the owner and they could stay however long they wanted. Adrien looked over at Marinette, who seemed more than displeased at the news. Adrien knew he wouldn’t be able to stay out of his scheduled time… Maybe he could find a way to get Marinette out too? That’ll score some brownie points. He wished, at least.

The group kept eating, now able to have an actual conversation, they ranted about the movie, their least and favorite parts. Marinette would quick often let out a ‘pfft’ at something Nath would say, and go on a long schpiel about why she disagreed.

Soon, and of course, it did, the topic got to Ladybug and Chat Noir.

It wasn’t an unusual topic. Alya _was_ was the owner of the Ladyblog. It was something she kept up with, so it was natural that she would bring up a theory, sighting, or Akuma attack. And how convenient that there was one this morning, too.

“Did you hear? The Akuma attack this morning lasted hours. Apparently, it was one of the worst ones they had in a while.” Alya said, matter-of-factly. Marinette let out a tired groan, recounting the morning’s events, before clearing her throat in a coverup, and sitting up straight. Alya ignored Marinette and kept talking. “Maybe this is the beginning of the end? Hawkmoth’s Akumas have only gotten harder and harder recently.”

Marinette and Adrien stiffened. They wondered why exactly they got harder and harder. She wasn’t wrong, even the easy Akumas had been somewhat difficult recently. Spending at least an hour on each one, when just this Spring they could knock out Akumas in a matter of minutes on their best days, and only up to half an hour on their worst. Marinette’s face flushed, her mind already racing. Could it be true? Was this the end? What was the end? Does the end mean for her and Chat Noir or for Hawkmoth?

“Naw, Alya, I don’t buy it.” Nino started, his arm wrapped around his girlfriend, who was sticking her phone towards Marinette and Adrien, a picture of this morning’s fight taking place. “He was stronger last Summer too, then Ladybug became the Guardian, and he weakened.”

“I don’t think he weakened, per se, maybe Ladybug just got stronger. Now, he’s getting used to Ladybug’s new set of abilities, and adjusting his Akuma attacks to match her strength.” Alya retaliated. Marinette was stuck, her hands grabbing either side of her chair, she looked down to her purse and saw Tikki’s big eyes staring up at her own.

Marinette felt sick. Ever since she became Guardian, her brain throbbed every second of every day. She never caught a break, unless she was with Chat Noir, who very abjectly reminded her to slow down and sink-in the moment every once in a while, however, if this was truly what was happening, she wouldn’t get a new break for a long time.

Feeling his chest lighten, Adrien knew Plagg was sitting up in his shirt pocket. Plagg was listening to what they were saying. Adrien’s body was tense. The two realized the Akumas had been getting stronger recently, and he also made the same dots Nino had, they were strong last Summer. Now, he didn’t know much about butterflies, but he knew Summer was a favorite of theirs. Nino and Alya had both weld Miraculous before, but they weren’t Miraculous holders. They didn’t know the side effects of carrying a Miraculous.

Hawkmoth was stronger, recently, yes. But Adrien just blamed it on the tendencies of butterflies being prosperous in the Summer heat. That’s when Ladybug was strongest. She had explained the weakness to him last Winter when her energy dropped, and she couldn’t be transformed for as long as normal. Maybe the same thing was happening to Hawkmoth? The peak before the drop.

The spontaneous debate was interrupted by Adrien’s phone. Glancing at it, he stood up, “Oh, guys, I have to get home. Gorilla is waiting for me.”

_This is your chance, Agreste._

“Want a ride?” He said, turning to Marinette. “You could… catch up on some sleep.” Trying his best to act calm, he met eyes with Marinette. She looked far off. Her eyes glimmered softly, with underlying hints of deep confusion.

“Uhm… Sure! Yeah. Sure. Why not…” She immediately regretted her decision, knowing now not only would she have to spend another whole car ride with Adrien, but it would be alone with Adrien. The idea of getting to sleep was much more enticing than the cons of spending another awkward, yet weirdly comfortable, car ride with the mop himself. She grabbed her bag, stuffing Tikki back down, and waved to her friends.

Gathering into the back of the car, the beginning of the ride was silent. Adrien started, “Uhm, so, I was wondering… If maybe we could… play Mecha Strike sometime?”

The blonde avoided her stare, but he could tell she was burning holes into his head. “Oh! Us? Yeah… Sure.., why not... I guess. Hmph.” She said, a bit monotonous and displeased. Marinette almost immediately said no, just on the instinct of talking to him. Then she thought of Alya and Tikki. Her stomach filled with guilt. She promised both of them she would try with Adrien. So, she’d have to suck it up.

“Awesome!” He said, a bit too enthusiastically for a contrast of her under the top demeanor, he cleared his throat, “Oh, uhm, I mean… Awesome. Cool. Sounds cool.”

She darted her hand across the seats, grabbing his phone from beside him. He looked up at her, “Hey, wait! What’re you doing?”

“You’re gonna need my number to text me right…? Do you want to play, or not?” She asked as if he was dumb for freaking out. The embarrassed blush went to his cheeks. He scratched the back of his neck awkwardly, his shoulders bouncing in a fake laugh,

“Oh, yeah! Right, of course. I’ll just… unlock it for you.” He said, grabbing it back from her hands. “Here…” He handed it back to her tentatively, silently praying she won't randomly find something embarrassing.

“Right, okay.” She said, sounding annoyed. She typed in her contact information and took a photo of her smiling with a thumbs up as her profile picture. “Right. Here.”

She hastily handed him his phone back. He smiled, “Awesome! Thanks, Marinette. It’ll be fun to play, I haven’t played with a friend, uhm, with anyone I knew… in forever.”

“No? How come?” She asked, a bit flat toned but with just a hint of curiosity.

“Not many people want to play with me. They say I’m too competitive.” He started. Noticing Marinette stammer for words, he continued, naturally. “Guess it comes with being amazing at everything.”

She laughed dryly. “Oh. Well, you’ve found the perfect girl then, and don’t get too cocky, Agreste, I’ll happily kick your ass any day.” She announced with pride, handing him a smirking grin. He smiled back with his own smirk, an eyebrow cocked. It was her voice alone that let him open up a bit.

“Oh yeah? I’m not forgetting that.” He leaned in a bit and accompanied his sentence with a wink. She rolled her eyes and shoved his shoulder.

“Wow, Agreste, very classy of you.” She said, slumping her back against the leather seat, letting her shoulders fall again. Their playful arguing-bantering-bullying dynamic was much more relaxed for both of them than the awkward pretend-to-be-enjoying-his-company persona that Marinette gave off.

Okay, maybe he had gone a little overboard, but oh well. “Well, classy does run in my family.”

“Oh, figures.” She said, an anticipated laugh interrupting her words.

“What? Don’t believe it?”

“Classy runs well within the rich. So does being spoiled, which you’ve proved with your limited edition of Mecha Strike everything, you’re a big old nerd, Agreste, glad to see I’ve found your true colors.” She said, a mix of contempt, and slight teasing, mixed in with her words.

“Don’t act like you’re not wealthy, miss red-carpet. Your family caters to every event my dad is invited to, and I know that for a fact.” He spat back. She shrugged.

“What can I say? My parents have more talent than a pretty boy face.” She said.

“You must be a delight at parties. Also, I’m not going to ignore the fact that you called me pretty.”

“It’s gonna be more of a delight whooping your ass at Mecha Strike, and also, you’re about as pretty as a rock.” It was a lie on her behalf, he was smoking, but she wasn’t going to let her guard down. She was far too headstrong for that.

The car drove to a halt, “Oh you can dream on all you want, Dupain-Cheng, you’ll see what you’re getting.”

“The only thing I get is victory!” She beamed, ungracefully exiting the car and flung the door in his face.

He yelled a bye through the window to her. She flipped him off.

Progress!

* * *

The next time Chat Noir visited, it was raining. The night of the longest day ever had come. He expected to peer over her sunroof and see her fast asleep. Sure, it was a little creepy expecting to be watching a girl sleep. But, he wanted to check anyway. And besides, it wasn’t like he was going to stay there if he was to find her sleeping; she needed her sleep anyway.

He let out a sad _Mrrow?_ when she wasn’t curled up in her bed. Knocking a hasty thum-thum-tha-thum on her window, he cracked it and threw himself down on her bed.

“Do you need a towel, kitty?” She said, lounging on her chaise, writing something in her diary. She quickly closed it and slid it away on the floor. Chat nodded in response, a single light was lit over Marinette’s chaise. Her hair wasn’t completely dry yet, he presumed from a shower, and she was wearing a white tank top with pink pajama shorts, that had white stitching around the edges.

She crawled up her ladder, onto her bed, with a towel draped around her neck. Taking it off, she sat up on her knees and draped the towel around his head. Massaging his fingers along his hair, and around his ears, he had no willpower to suppress the purr that escaped through his throat. The feeling over the towel rubbing against his skin and ears, along with her fingers every once and a while scratching, the feeling was too much to give into. He blushed, a bit embarrassed. He wasn’t very comfortable purring in front of people, even Ladybug he got flushed around.

She just giggled, and continued to dry off his head, soon making way down to his arms and shoulders, before dropping the towel. “Sorry, princess. Towels are quite alluring. But, thanks.”

“Any time, kitty. And don’t apologize, it’s not like it’s something you can control.” She said with a shrug, falling onto her knees once she started speaking. He lent her a cheeky smile.

Noticing the bags under her eyes as he was closer to her, he felt his smile fall. “Mari, did you get any sleep?” He asked warily, grabbing a hold of her cheek, so she wouldn’t fall over and collapse with exhaustion.

“I wish I did. No… None at all. I went to the movies and to lunch with some friends, and this topic got brought up at lunch and it just… it’s been on my mind all day. No sleep here.” She said, her tone falling from sarcastic at the beginning, to somewhat serious and sad at the end. She rubbed her forehead with her hand.

He tilted his head curiously. He didn’t remember her being drastically affected by any topic at the diner. “Do you want… to talk about it?” She visibly tensed under his grasp when he said those words, and he quickly retaliated, “You don’t, you don’t have to! But I’m always here, cat’s honor.” He said, his hand moving down to her shoulder comfortingly.

She grinned dolefully. “Thanks, Chat.” She whispered. “Now, regarding that purring…”

“Mari, oh my-” He threw his head back and laughed.

“I’m serious! How come I’ve never heard you purr before?” She slumped, moving forward to him, on her hands.

“You’re just not good enough for it, Purr-incess.” He leaned in, and their noses were almost touching.

“Oh, I’m not good enough for it? What is it now, going on a couple of weeks of my daily catsits and I’m hearing I’m not good enough for it?” She crossed her arms, not removing her eyes from his. He cocked a smile, his sharp cat teeth showing.

“Oh, I’m just teasing you, Marinette. Very few things make me purr, actually.” He leaned back against her pillow, and she fell backward, back to sitting on her knees. He tried not to think of his spontaneous rolls from earlier that day. He still had no idea what those meant.

“So what I’m hearing, is I’m good with a towel?” She said, a hint of pride in her voice.

“No, you’re a God with your hands.” He said before stopping himself. The blush rose through his mask. “Well- no- what I mean is like- Your nails- I- stop laughing!”

The same red color hit her face, and she did start laughing, her hand pressed against her mouth. “S-Sorry Chaton!” She muttered, trying to keep her voice down as she muffled her laughter. She wiped a tear from her eye. He sat there, his lips pursed, and a growl escaped him. This just made her laugh harder until she was rolling around on her bed, clutching her side.

“Marinette!” He scolded in a whisper. He clambered over and grabbed her by the stomach, the same way he did to Ladybug that morning, and he dragged her body over to sit her up next to him. She breathed for a few seconds, before erupting into more laughter, burying her face into his upper arm, her shoulders shaking against him. The blush hadn’t left his face, and it hadn’t left hers, either.

After her tears subsided, she looked back up at him. He was now slouched down, his body below hers. As much as she didn’t really want to without his permission, she got a sudden urge to touch him. Physical contact. Their shoulders were touching, but she couldn’t resist the temptation to comb her fingers through his hair, digging her nails in and out, and making it around his ears.

His eyes were wide, and his blush deepened. He didn’t want her to stop, so he didn’t say anything, but he did turn into Marinette’s hipbone, embarrassed of the deep purr in his body. He mumbled an ‘I can’t believe you, Mari.’ She faintly laughed in response.

The rain had subdued. She fell asleep that night with her hands laced through his hair, and she slept until 2 pm the next day. He stayed laying there for about half an hour after she fell asleep, the purrs still not dwindling. He sat up next to her after they stopped, tucking her into her covers before he left. He found himself looking over at her bulletin board.

On it was photos of her and Alya, smiling and posing. She had a photo of Adrien, modeling the hat she designed years ago. Given, she had scribbled his face out with a black sharpie. But, he counted it. Class photos, photos of her with Jagged Stone, her parents in the bakery, her and Nino as toddlers in a daycare of some sort. And finally, a photo of her and Chat Noir, taken just a couple of days ago. The selfie was taken on her bed, and she was making a claw-pose with her hand, and her nose was all scrunched up. She looked utterly adorable, and apparently he thought so at the time too, because in the photo he was tinted pink, and smiling, his chin resting on her shoulder, throwing a wink at the camera, and a finger gun.

He planted a kiss on her forehead and smiled at her sleeping figure. “Sweet dreams, Princess.” Before leaving, he looked back down at her, “You owe me one for not snooping through your shit.” He narrowed her eyes, knowing she couldn’t hear him.

He jumped off the terrace, quickly flipping his way around. The way back to his house was basically second nature by now, he didn’t even think about it. He flipped through his window, transforming mid-leap. Plagg fell onto his bed, and Adrien threw the cheese up for the kwami to catch.

“Adrien, I’ve gotta tell you… You’ve got it bad.”

“What? For Marinette? No, Plagg, she’s just a friend! Besides, she’s only a friend of Chat Noir. If I did like her, more than that, as Adrien, too… That’d just not end well.” Adrien shook his head, blaming his words on the sleep deprivation coursing through him.

“You’re denying it, kid. You can’t control what you feel…” The kwami had a sense of fondness in his face. Like he wanted it for Adrien. He couldn’t explain to Adrien why he was attracted to Marinette the way he was. Tikki would beat his ass. “Besides, you’re becoming friends with Marinette! You got her phone number.”

“That means nothing, Plagg.” He said with a yawn. “She doesn’t want to see me yet. I could tell from her voice, her stance, the way she was talking to me. The only time she was comfortable with me was when she was bickering with me. That’s not going to get us many places. But… I have her number now, and she agreed to play with me! So, maybe, that’ll change… But it doesn’t matter right now. Nothing does. Chat is just a leeway for Adrien, for Marinette…”

“You’re not using her, kid. I know you think you are, but you’re not. You’ve said it yourself! You’re drawn to her. Especially for those with the cat miraculous, once they have a strong need or desire, they will go to drastic measures to meet them. You would’ve done it anyway, kid, you’re a teenage human boy.” Plagg started, ignoring Adrien’s snort. “Chat Noir’s relationship with Marinette is just as real as Adrien’s. You’re not any less Chat Noir than you are Adrien; you’re both! It’s not very uncommon for previous miraculous wielders. It’s easy for holders to mix up who they are behind the mask with who they are in front. You treat her very similarly as Adrien as you do as Chat. You’re just more wary as Adrien, and you have been with everything. Eavesdropping is one of my many skills, and you act very similar around Marinette as both sides. You don't do that with just anyone. I gotta say, kid, I’ve been around as long as the dinosaurs and I’ve never been with a wielder within this situation before.” Plagg informed his wielder, his back on Adrien’s bed through his lesson.

Plagg continued after an infuriated groan left Adrien. “It gets complicated, knowing you have two different identities. It’s how you balance out those identities. How you balance being Adrien, and being Chat Noir. Sometimes, that requires a connection. Marinette is your bridge. She’s someone you have two very different relationships with. It’ll teach you more about yourself. In the long run, it’ll make you a better Chat Noir. Like I said, you act very similarly around her. You treat her like you treat Ladybug.” Plagg knew Tikki would be slapping him sideways giving Adrien this much knowledge, but the boy was too dense for his own good. Plagg knew it would calm him, and that’s really all he cared about.

Adrien very rarely got to hear about kwami history from Plagg, or have a heart to heart with him. He relaxed and lowered himself onto his bed. “We’ll figure it out together. Thanks, Plagg.”

“It’ll all make sense soon, kid. I promise.” He said, knowingly. Adrien cocked his head at him confused, before crawling under his sheets.

“Good night, Plagg.”

Plagg yawned heavily, “Good night, Adrien.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> IMPORTANT INFORMATION.
> 
> Plagg obviously knows Marinette is Ladybug. If you are reading this in the future, this was written before Season 4 was released, so any information about Marinette being the guardian of the Miraculous is completely improvised in this fic. Trust me, her role as Guardian is currently extremely vague, but it will be a huge plot point to Marinette's character development, and her mental health. (Which P.S if you haven't picked up on it yet, it's not good.)
> 
> So... What tf was Plagg talking about?!  
> As I said, Plagg knows Mari is Ladybug. He knows the reason that Adrien is so drawn to her is because of their tendencies as being holders of the yin and yang miraculous. They fit together, just like they do in the miracle box. But obviously, Plagg cannot tell him this.
> 
> Plagg is basically saying "teenage hormones, amirite cat boy?" Add a miraculous on top of that, hormones can get thrown a little bit out of whack. The rest of his argument is a true fact. Adrien and Chat Noir are the SAME person. Yes, he acts differently, but you can easily see Chat Noir bleed into Adrien's attitude when he is comfortable enough, aka when he is around Marinette.
> 
> Basically Plagg is trying to explain to Adrien why he's feeling this way towards Marinette, without trying to spill the beans about her directly. Although, he really wants to see Tikki so he's being a bit selfish with his very obvious hints. BUT, he also gave our boy a little pep talk! He needs it, he deserves it.
> 
> Everything is important! I promise :) It will all tie together eventually.  
> Please know that I am also physically rolling in my own tears because Season 4 was postponed until 2021 :'(
> 
> xoxo, Emma


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladybug and Chat Noir have a thoughtful conversation. Their partner-in-crime always by their side, of course. Marinette and Chat Noir play 'catch-up', and Marinette gave off her fair share of eye rolls at her favorite knight in black leather. Alya finds about her best friend and Adrien's new little connection, and Tikki gives Marinette some new information. (Y' know! Cool... kwami, shit.)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I thoroughly enjoyed writing this chapter. I got all my faves incorporated here, including now TIKKI giving some words of wisdom, as well as adding to our kwami lore so that's fun. I hope you enjoy!
> 
> P.S. I've joined twitter & Instagram! My @ is @ladynoiree1 on Twitter! I don't really know what I'm doing on it, but it exists... So that's cool! It's an easier way to promote than Instagram, but oh wait I have that too @s.ugarnoir. (It'll be interesting, to say the least.) Stay tuned for cool personal Emma being a 'cool relatable teen' stuff on my Instagram and aesthetic stuff on my Twitter. That's what you're gonna get.
> 
> Thank you so much for the sweet comments, kudos, and bookmarks! I appreciate them all! <3

We may only have tonight  
But till the morning sun, you're mine, all mine  
Play the music low and sway to the rhythm of love  
 _Rhythm of Love - Plain White T’s_

* * *

Patrol the next night was spent with brainstorming, basically having the same conversation they had with Alya and Nino the day before.

Ladybug spoke without a beat “...Well, maybe, but, what if he is storing energy, training himself to make stronger Akumas and working with Mayura, they’re just going to be stronger. He could have a downfall in the Winter or Spring, but what if the end is sooner than we think? What if it’s coming in the Fall?” The worry leaked in her voice.

“Woah, little bug, it’s gonna be okay. There’s no way. You’ve said yourself you start to weaken in the fall. This is his peak, for all we know this will be the last hard Akuma he’ll hit with us. I’d say we could attack him at his weakest points, in the Winter. But you could be just as weak, maybe even more since you probably do more than sit on your ass since you’re not a middle-aged man…” Chat Noir trailed off in his thoughts. Ladybug laughed and hit his shoulder with his.

“We could always call back Rena Rouge, and Carapace, and all the rest of the temporary miraculous holders? Just in case?” Ladybug shrugged, racking her mind as the sun was setting over the horizon, creating a fade of blue to orange in the sky. It was beautiful. She took a deep sigh, bringing her knees up to her, and resting her chin on top of them. She instinctively rested her head on Chat Noir’s shoulder comfortingly, and he rested his cheek on her head in return.

“Do you mean permanently? Give them the miraculous?” Chat Noir asked, his voice vibrating against her head. Ladybug hummed in response.

“No. I mean… If we do notice, in the next couple weeks or months, that Hawkmoth is only getting stronger and his power is increasing, we might need them. We have many times before. But of course, if all else fails…”

“We’ll figure it out. We always have before, m’ lady. There are some things that you just have to play by ear. It’ll all work out soon in that epic brain of yours, and you know you’ve always got me, just in case you need my equally epic brain to work.” Chat matter-of-factly stated.

Ladybug snorted, her head falling forward, causing Chat to lift his off of her’s. “I love that my best friend is a complete and utter liar. And dork, don’t forget it.” She flicked his bell, and Chat made a face of faux insult.

“Au contraire, mademoiselle, I am not either of those things. You’d be a puddle without me, and you know it.” He raised his eyebrows. The glistening smile that was planted on her face made him smile sadly. He rarely saw her smile recently. She would laugh sometimes, but it was always distant. “How have you been as of recently? I’ve missed that smile of yours.” He jokingly poked her cheek. She swatted his hand away.

“Down, kitty.” She commenced, he elevated his eyebrows, in response, she hummed. “I’ve been… doing alright. Lack of sleep, no doubt, but Tikki has been taking care of me. Along with… a friend.”

“Oh, a friend? Is a new boy taking you from me?” He said defensively, but they both knew he was being sarcastic. She tilted her head and smiled.

“Oh, of course, never.” She performed overdramatically. “No. Just a friend… keeping me in my place. I guess not in the way they think they are. But he’s, really helpful. He has this weird way of always knowing what I’m thinking. But don’t get me wrong, you’re my go-to guy, Chat. That’ll never change.” Her tone softened and he made eye contact with her. She felt guilty lying to him, seeing as he was the guy she was talking about. But it’s not like he could know that. At least, not anytime soon, it wasn’t safe.

“People do say I’m a very reliable cat.” He flipped his hair with satisfaction. Ladybug rolled her eyes at his arrogance, but it was a very lovable aspect of the black cat. She leaned back against his arm, taking in the view in front of her.

“It’s moments like this… It’s so peaceful and calm. There’s no noise, there’s no Akumas or Amoks, and it’s just us. Me and my partner and crime soaking in just a couple of moments away from calamity. It’s so weird… There’s so much going on in my life, and your life. And yet the World never stops… It just keeps going. Like it doesn’t care that our lives are at risk all the time. Like it doesn’t even bat an eyelash at the responsibility on our shoulders.” Ladybug lamented, her partner looking wearily at the aforementioned sunset. She wasn’t wrong. The World for them was a dangerous place, yet it never stopped. Not once.

“That’s our job, Bug. Our job is to keep the World turning. Keep it going for other people that can’t.” His tone was melodious. It was grounding for Marinette. “You’re great at your job, m’ lady. Nobody could ever top you. Just sometimes, you have to take in the moment. Stop thinking about the future, about the if’s and the whens. Start thinking about right now.”

“You’re too optimistic for me, Chat. Thank you.”

“Anytime, bugaboo.”

The sunset was much more relaxing for Ladybug after that.

* * *

“Stay still, Chat!” Marinette hissed at him. He was standing in the middle of her room, with a long yellow tape measurer being wrapped around his waist, and his arms in a T-position. He was struggling very hard not to purr at her dainty movements around his stomach, and waist.

“I’m trying, Princess, you keep knocking me around!” The sun came in throw the windows. School had ended a couple of hours ago, and Chat made an appearance after agreeing to Marinette that he would help with some of her inspiration ticks. Like spontaneously wanting to make Winter and Fall inspired outfits for her boy-in-leather.

“You’re a big boy, I think you’ll manage a couple of light pushes.” She muttered, deadly focused by her work.

“You’re stronger than you look, Mari! Not my fault I’m friends with She-Hulk.” He retorted snarkily. She finally let go of the tape measurer and wrote down her measurements on a yellow pad of paper.

“Never call me She-Hulk again.” She responded, not looking up from her pad of paper.

“Oh, are we warming up to Purr-incess now?” He leaned under her to meet her gaze. She hit him on the head with her pencil, causing him to cower a couple of steps away, and whine. She laughed at his reaction to the small pencil boop.

As she hurriedly moved on from the subject, Chat was very pleased with himself that she never denied his claim about the Princess-thing. “Okay, I can work with this. You’re all done. Good job, kitty.” She walked past him and gave him a small head scratch in return to his patience. “Although, you need to learn to stay still.”

“Fur sure, purr-incess. I’ve got to head out soon be-claws I’ve got some things to do on this purr-fect day.” Chat informed, and Marinette’s eyebrows furrowed with curiosity, but she knew he couldn’t tell her anything too personal. “But, I’ve got time. How was school?”

Marinette groaned and fell on her chaise face first. “Don’t even get me started, we’ll be here all day and you’ll not get to enjoy your purr-fect day.”

“Oh, come on, Princess, my day is always purr-fect with you in it.” He shot her a cheeky wink. Unamused, Marinette deadpanned to Chat and picked up the pillow under her head, and then frisbeed it towards him. He laughed, catching the pillow at his chest with a small grunt. “You have way too good of a throwing arm for me to tease you.”

Adrien was happy with how far his relationship with her had come in just a couple of weeks. With Chat Noir, and with Adrien. She was one of his closest friends now, even if she didn’t know it, and after getting her number Adrien took in the liberty to have a couple of bland-enough conversations for just starting out enemies-to-friends, with 20 minutes in between each message, most of which Adrien saw right away but would take forever trying to figure out what to reply back with.

“You’re unbelievable. Anyway, it wasn’t great. This girl in my class just keeps pulling on my strings. She’s unbearable. You’ve probably heard of her; Chloe Bourgeois.” Marinette said, her face still sat sideways on her chaise. Chat Noir let out an ‘aaa’ at the sound of her name.

“Yeah, that one has put LB and me into some tight situations before. Lots of Akumas have been caused by her behavior. God, you’d think by now she could at least take a hint that’s she’s doing something wrong.” Chat fell back onto her spinning chair, pillow still in hand. Marinette sat back against her chaise, and put a signal for Chat to throw her the pillow like a football. He did, and then they were throwing it back and forth, continuing the discussion.

“She’s not all that bad. She has her moments! Really, I have faith in her to come out on top, but that doesn’t mean that when she isn’t… great… that it won’t still affect mine or anyone else’s feelings. I’ve tried with her before, I’ve stood up to her many times. She doesn’t listen to anyone except for herself. Especially after that debacle with the miraculous a couple of years ago.” Marinette huffed, focusing on the way Chat would identically throw the pillow, and keep his arm extended, waiting to catch it again.

Adrien knew what she was talking about. Marinette had stood up to Chloe many times, including beating her in class president multiple years in a row. Marinette was someone in their class that everyone loved, so it was a no-brainer for her to come out on top. All Chloe did was try to bribe them into friendship, just like she did with Sabrina.

It was a little heartwarming knowing Marinette had some faith for Chloe. Adrien had known the blonde since he was a toddler, he watched her grow and he had the same hope for her as Marinette. She had been that beaming, bouncy, fun, sweet little kid before, and he had no doubt that she had that potential. She showed it when she was Queen Bee, her desire to help others, even if it was just to get her name in the spotlight, her name was already in the spotlight. She didn’t need to be a superhero, but she did, and she did her job. He always admired Ladybug for trusting Chloe, and he knew for a fact Ladybug didn’t like Chloe. She had made it very prominent many, many times.

“You sound like Ladybug. She’s said the same things before. Well, I mean, I have too. Ladybug has had her own issues with Chloe.” Marinette snorted at the comment. “I know her, personally. Well… Everyone knows Chloe, really, she is the Mayor’s daughter. Even after what happened with the miraculous and with the miraculous box, Ladybug still has this weird hope for her.”

“There’s good in everyone. You just have to give them a chance. I’ve learned that, recently, I guess. I’ve always been one for second chances, but even then, I’d never want to become friends with someone who was once bad, because they could always become bad again. Alya told me that it was silly for me to think like that… She wanted me to become friends with this boy, the one I’ve told you about, and I kind of have. I got his phone number, but he’s a really weird texter, so.” Marinette laughed at her own words. Chat Noir’s head popped up, and he didn’t throw the pillow back to Marinette. She frowned and reached for the pillow again with baby-hands.

“Weird texter?” He asked, before realizing he hadn’t thrown the pillow. He widened his eyes a bit, and cleared his throat, throwing it back to her. The easy, thoughtless rhythm continued. She laughed again at his unhappy tone.

“Well, yeah. He types like… forever, then his reply is like a sentence, once he took fifteen minutes to reply with ‘okay.’ It makes me wonder if he’s as good at Mecha Strike as he says he is.” Marinette rejoiced, finding the boy’s texting habits very amusing. Adrien got a little offended, wanting to defend his honor. He was a fucking boss at Mecha Strike, but he couldn’t say that.

“Have you played with him yet?” No. He asked anyway.

“Uh, nope. I’m kind of excited, which is weird. Don’t get me wrong, I still don’t like him, but he said he was competitive, and I’m always up for a good challenge. I think… weirdly enough, it’ll be fun! I’ve been looking to play with someone other than my Dad for ages. And, it’ll make Alya happy.” Marinette responded cheerfully.

“Huh… You play with your dad?” Chat asked, his mind trailing silently as his mind blurred, absently catching the pretend football and throwing it back in a repeated trend.

“Well, yeah! He’s the one that got me into the game. He has weird… catchphrases, and everything.” Marinette jokingly shuddered at her dad’s embarrassing game tactics. She loved her Papa, but he really could get overexcited. But then again, he is where she got her excited tendencies from.

“Huh…” The blonde slowed a bit, his mind focused elsewhere. He knew that Marinette had a close relationship with her parents. It always shook him a bit, when her Dad would come to school for Career Day, or when he would stop by the bakery to see them doing contests with a dusty timer and an ounce of dough in the back. Her tongue always stuck out in concentration, and he always let her win. He thinks... 

“Something on your mind, kitty?”

The sound of his nickname snapped Chat Noir out of his trance. Focusing back on the pillow, and the troubled girl in front of him. He laughed nonchalantly, plastering a model-smile on his face. “What? Oh, of course not! Just thinking about how I’d love to see your Dad get mauled by you in Mecha Strike, Mrs. Gaming-Master.”

She laughed, and chucked the pillow at him with a stronger force, sending it flying over his shoulder, her chair rolling back at a faster pace, along with a harsh grunt coming from Chat Noir as he reached his arm back over his head to catch it. “Oh, Princess, that was tough.”

“I do my best.” She smiled cockily at him. He deadpanned and made a fake laughing noise. Her nose scrunched at his sarcasm, and she fell to the side on her chaise. “Get out of here, you street cat, go do your much important business.”

“I am heavily offended, I am no street cat, I am a very well mannered, gentle-cat.” He stood up in fake horror, before bowing after his final statement. The girl giggled, and their eyes locked as he shot his face up to hers from the angle.

“Yeah, well, gentle-cat, this girl needs some alone sewing time, and a nap.” She pushed his nose in, and he scowled in acknowledgment of her petty actions, well, petty in _his_ brain, at least.

“Whatever the Purr-incess desires, I guess. It’s time for a manicure anyways, these claws need trimming before a tear your pillow to pieces on my way out.” He stalled, pacing slowly around her room, staring at his nails as Chloe would in the morning before homeroom.

“Oh, you are so lucky I don’t have my pillow anymore,” Marinette muttered, sliding her body down her chaise to kick Chat in the back of his knees, “Get out! Get out! Get out!” She shrieked, hitting harder with each kick. Chat turned around and grabbed her ankle, shaking it a couple of times.

“Uhm, ouch! Rude, fine, you don’t want me back that bad I just won’t come back tonight.” He huffed frivolously, dropping Mari’s ankle and walking away. He was interrupted by her grasp on his wrist. He turned around, surprised.

“Wait, no! Come back.” She said, hints of sincerity lacing through her tone. Chat softened, his wrist growing limp in her grip. He grabbed her wrist opposite of his and squeezed it once in consolation.

“Of course, Purr-incess.” He led off with a wink, responded by an annoyed grunt and what he assumed was another eye roll, before hopping out the sunlit roof, and making his way to his photoshoot.

He was gonna be late. So worth it.

* * *

“You’re telling me you gave him your _phone number?_ ” Alya spat into the phone so hard, Marinette could taste her spit. She laughed at her best friend’s uncalled for enthusiasm. Alya didn’t wait for a response before she squealed heavily, obviously jumping around her room in a frenzy. Marinette drew the phone away from her ear, scared she would end up losing her hearing at a pace like this.

“Okay, okay, calm down! It’s not that big of a deal. I agreed I would play video games with him.” Marinette responded, repositioning her phone to its normal position; pressed between her shoulder and her ear and she returned to stitching together two pieces of fabric.

“Oh my god, girl, video games? Phone numbers? I should quit school and become Cupid.” Alya sighed dreamily, her back pressed against her bed in exceeding enjoyment and satisfaction of their new friendship.

“Don’t get too ahead of yourself, Al. He’s not even a friend yet, I still don’t like that guy. But, because I listened to you for once, along with some… other friends, maybe he’ll become one. But nothing more, and I will promise you that.” Marinette said spitefully into the phone, her sewing needle poking the air as if it would make a difference to the unknowing Alya.

“God, I’m already drafting my novel, Mar. When are y’all gonna play?” Alya piped in a song-songy voice, her intentions prominent in the response, wanting to hear every detail of the past, present, and future. Her eyeballs were essentially dropping out of her skull.

“Not sure. Probably tonight, I guess if he’s available. But I don’t know, he hasn’t responded to my text.” Marinette muttered, her needle now stuck in her mouth as she struggled to keep up the chat without swallowing sharp metal. Her main source of light was fading through her light pink curtains. She preferred the natural beams over the fluorescent lightbulb and cheap lampshade she made out of sheer fabric when she was fourteen. It gave her a sense of what the outfit would look like naturally, out and about, and not under the crappy off-white, dusty lighting of her room, shaded pink, and definitely not the style under the sun.

“Girl, you better figure out, or I’m going to text him myself. This is so cute! I can’t believe it. I should start a new blog… Matchmakers For You. Nah, not catchy…” Alya went on for another fifteen minutes naming and brainstorming titles for her new matchmaking industry, one she was now fairly confident she could see a bright future ahead for herself in. Marinette could nearly observe the cogs in her head straining as she sought out for clever quips and whims for her new inventiveness.

The ping from her phone caused Marinette to jump, subsequently pricking her finger. Tikki squeaked from beside her, rushing to get a band-aid or gauze. Marinette smiled fondly at her kwami, knowing the prick was nothing more than a small injury that she could probably shake off in three seconds. Setting down her needle, she told Alya to hold on as she checked the message.  
Adrien Agreste  
17:34  
 _Hey! Sorry. Didn’t have my phone, photoshoot. I’m all up for playing tonight! You’re on, Dupain-Cheng._

Marinette rolled her eyes at the confidence seeping through Adrien’s texts. His messages have gotten better, more realistic, and not-freakish. She heard Alya’s muffled name-calls through the speaker of the phone. Ignoring the calls, she hastily typed out a response, small annoyance, and nervousness rushing through her body, a smirk nonetheless plastered to her face.

You  
17:36  
 _you’re on, agreste. but don’t get your hopes up! ;)_

So, it was the most arrogant thing she could think of, and sure she deleted and replaced the winky face about twenty times before realizing it would probably make him more intimidated, and at the end of the day, that’s really all she wanted.

Needless to say, Adrien didn’t respond to her threat. She took more pride in this then she should have as she kept getting his text bubble, only to say nothing in return. She returned her phone to her ear, bidding Alya a cryptic and hasty goodbye, and returned to her sewing.

She wasn’t necessarily excited to be with Adrien. Honestly, it kind of fed her up. Sure, she was excited to play the game with a nice competitor, but it had to be Adrien, and that was the downfall. She knew it made Alya and Tikki happy, along with Nino and maybe the rest of the grade, according to Alya, who constantly notes on their fed up unneeded tension. She did it for them. For the grade. Yeah.

It’s not like she wanted to talk to Adrien.

Sure, he gave her the same calmness and serenity that Chat Noir gave her, and sure, nobody else, not even Alya could do that, but she was with Chat basically 24/7, especially with his recent rendezvous to her house, but the emptiness and loneliness that Chat filled didn’t bother her when she was with Adrien.

Marinette felt the guilt again. Chat Noir. She was… endlessly lying to him. It’s not like she had a choice! Well, okay, she was the guardian of the miraculous, so of course, she did have a choice. But every time she even considered opening up with identities, Master Fu’s voice rang in her ears.

_You two both know the consequences of that._

She shivered at the thought before she climbed up her ladder and flopped headfirst onto her bed. Tikki zipped over to her and fell onto the pillow next to her head. “You don’t need to tell him the truth, Marinette! There is a right place and a right time for everything. Right now, you’re both perfectly content!”

“How is it that you always know what’s on my mind, Tikki?”

“Us kwamis have a special connection to their chosen! It’s the reason you get tendencies of your miraculous, and so does Chat Noir! We kwamis can often feed off of our chosen’s emotions, not always picking them up for ourselves, but we can tell when you are upset, happy, disappointed, and more!” Tikki informed. Marinette shot her head to Tikki’s in disbelief.

“Tikki! How come you never told me that!?” She cried out.

“As I said, there is a right place and a right time for everything! The answers will all come soon,   
Marinette. You and Chat Noir don’t ever have to know each other’s identities, but it is very unlikely that with two knowing kwamis and such a strong connection that you will go your whole lives without knowing!” Tikki kept on with her lecture, a teacher-like voice spreading through the walls of Marinette. Her ears soaked in the information, taking every piece bit by bit and disembodying it in her mind. She examined every word and phrase and applied it to her role.

“So you’re saying… We have a stronger connection. What does that mean? Don’t all holders of the ladybug and cat miraculous have strong connections? And I hope you’re right, Tikki, but I don’t know if I’m ready to know his identity yet. Not with Hawkmoth still out there. It could be dangerous, for both of us, Tikki. I’m not going to be the responsibility for putting him in danger.” Marinette brought her hands and put them under her head, staring warily at her most entrusted friend.

“Yes! All ladybug and cat miraculous holders are the center of the miraculous box. They are the most coordinated with each other, as well as usually being a perfect match for each other against any evil. You have a stronger connection with Chat Noir, simply because you two are not just partners, but close friends! One day, Plagg and I will explain more. But that day has not come yet. You have only 30 minutes until patrol, I say you start getting ready now.” Tikki said her last bits of information, before kissing Marinette on the cheek, and leaving her to think in wonder.

Tikki turned to Marinette before flying away to go distract herself with organization or something or the other in her chosen’s room. “Marinette, it’s sometimes inevitable for the miraculous holders to find out their identities. With what you have going on, sneaking around with them outside of your duties, the truth may come out either way. But, that is a risk you are willing to take. I will be there for you either way! Even with Hawkmoth around, you’ll find a way.”

“Thank you, Tikki.” Marinette groaned into her pillow, left with way more questions than answers. Different situations and outcomes were already convoluted in her mind. She didn’t hate the idea of Chat Noir knowing her identity, she would do it in a heartbeat if it didn’t have the unintentional consequences. She trusted him with her life and he didn’t even know her first name… God, there’s that guilt again. It stung at her like a burning needle on a light piece of thread. Her skin burned with shame and her stomach churned with a knowledge that hadn’t reached her brain yet. The feeling swarmed around her body and ate her up.

She was spending all her time with her best friend, outside of her costume. And he didn’t know. He was entrusting her with knowledge, and laughing with her, and confiding in her. And she was lying to him. She never thought there would be a day that she would have to lie to Chat Noir. Not after Master Fu. Never after that… She knew how heartbroken he was that she didn’t trust him, he didn’t tell her until much later about the almost-giving-in-incident.

It scared her that that much was on the line. Their partnership, the safety of Paris, his freedom, his life. Him. It made her stomach hurt even more. She was alone in her patrol tonight, so she had more time to think. Normally, she loved solo patrols; some time to herself, swinging across her favorite city without having to deal with Chat’s endless flirting, and silly puns. It was a break from the real world. But right now, all she wanted to do was see her best friend, and sit there with him. It hurt her, even more, to know that tonight he wasn’t visiting. Said he had plans with a friend or some bullshit.

And she was stuck with Adrien Agreste.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> oH nO NoT AdRieN AgrEstE1!!1!1! our poor sunshine boy once again dissed by his forbidden flower, what a shame, what a shame.
> 
> anyway feel free to shred marinette in the comments for being a blind hoe because, it's true she is.  
> like come on silly girl connect the dots. also, marinette and chat's relationship is currently completely platonic and canon. so basically like,,,  
> chat: i love myself  
> marinette: shut up i don't care
> 
> sorry that i keep dangling adrienette in ur face and then snatching it away!! they will be basically the entirety of the next chapter so don't you worry, marinette's eye rolls are nowhere near gone and they never will be soooo
> 
> see you in the next one :')  
> xo, Emma


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adrien and Marinette play Mecha Strike, and they learn a little bit more about each other. Adrien asks Marinette a question that throws her down her own spiral.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is the shortest chapter I've published, there wasn't much for me to do, and I was happy with the ending! Plus, I wrote this all in one sitting so like :')
> 
> Thank you all for the kudos, comments, and bookmarks. It brings me so much joy to see the feedback and love this fic is getting so far! I never thought it would get as much love as it is getting currently, and all your kind words just bring me more motivation to keep going. You all are the sweetest.
> 
> Instagram: @s.ugarnoir  
> Twitter: @ladynoiree1

Make me your radio  
Turn me up when you feel low  
This melody was meant for you  
Just sing along to my stereo  
_Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes_

* * *

Ladybug’s patrol was nothing lackluster, of course, flying around with special powers and viewing the breathtaking sites of Paris was never lackluster, but the girl behind the mask wanted nothing more than the patrol to finally end, so she could get back home and curl up with her controller. Her mind was elsewhere, which also made the patrol last longer than she originally intended it to.

Finally landing on her balcony, she detransformed and collapsed onto her cot, and reached into her bag, waiting patiently for her against a potted plant, and handed Tikki a cookie. Tikki giggled, taking the cookie with a tired sigh. Her smile growing on her tiny face. Marinette smiled at her kwami, taking her joyfully into her hands, and placing an affection kiss atop her head. The smile laid plastered on Tikki’s face, and she fell onto her chosen’s hair. “I think I’m going to sleep here tonight.”

It was Marinette’s turn to giggle, partially from Tikki’s comment, and partially from the slight tickle from Tikki on her head. “That’s okay with me, Tikki. Just don’t make too much noise. I don’t want to have to lie to Adrien about the boogie monster under my bed making adorable yawns. However… That would give me an excuse to never have to invite him over.”

Tikki tsk-ed at her, staying laid on Marinette’s top as Marinette climbed down, grabbing her purse as she did so, and feeding Tikki another cookie. Taking out her phone from the bag, she texted Adrien a quick thumbs up. It, surprisingly, didn’t take him much longer to respond. She laughed at the thought of Adrien staring over his phone, a greedy and inpatient shake in his body. She changed quickly, a custom sweatshirt she made that had she embroidered her and her partner’s miraculous into, the original sweatshirt was just solid white. It was… boring. She accompanied it with simple black pajama shorts, and she pulled her hair back into her signature ponytails.

Falling onto her rolling chair, she spun twice towards the computer. The blue light illuminated her unlit room, and she took a sip of her water sitting beside her. She was maybe a little too overexcited for the night ahead of her, already having set out her water and a bowl of chips before she left for her patrol, so she had no time to lose. Tikki piped up tiredly, still sitting on her head. “Don’t you think you were a little _too_ over-excited for tonight? You know… Game night with Adrien?” She slurred, singing his voice in a comical tone.

Marinette’s lips formed a straight line, and her eyebrows furrowed. “Tikki!” She snapped defensively. “I’m just excited to play with someone who isn’t my Dad, for once. It’s just been a long couple of weeks! My only breaks have been with Chat. I’m ready to just… hang out! No stress, am I right?”

“Of course, Marinette! I’m happy you’re happy.” Tikki said, falling back onto her owner’s hair. Marinette giggled, and muttered something or the other of ‘yeah apparently that’s how it works.’ Tikki ignored her comment, though, out of tiredness and out of spite to her chosen’s pettiness.

Taking her headphones, she put them over her head and messaged her new gaming partner on the server.

_Buginette13_  
ready to lose, agreste?

_EAAgreste_  
In your dreams! You’re on, Dupain-Cheng.

_EAAgreste has started a voice call._

Marinette’s heartbeat picked up. She was always nervous about stupid voice calls. Until they got into the actual game, she would have to think of some useless banter or make awkward small talk. Both of which sounded unappealing at the moment. Then, he spoke. “Hey! Can ya hear me?”

It was weird talking to him without seeing his face. It felt raw and made her more comfortable, knowing he was probably also hunched over his screen, pajamas bore, and face illuminating his screen. Probably a much more expensive computer than her’s, but she didn’t mind the luxury. They all fulfill the same purpose. Normally, Adrien’s flaunting of his overpriced goods made her blood boil. But it wasn’t like that. His overly-priced materials were being used in the same sense, at the same time, without even a mention. She smiled, her thoughts being interrupted. “Marinette?”

Okay, she zoned out, “Oh, hello! I’m here! Yes, I can hear you!” She squealed. Her cheeks burning with embarrassment at the high-pitched tone of her voice. Adrien’s laugh sounded. She scowled. _Ugh, whatever._

“Perfect. I can hear you too. Let’s go, I’m ready to quote-on-quote lose.” He was much more confident behind a screen. His voice rising and having tone. His comments spewed off his tongue without a beat. It intimidated Marinette. Normally, he was at least a little flustered. The confidence in his voice placed a lump in her throat. It reminded her of Chat Noir’s confident tone. His suave-ness and conviction had normally comforted her and made her laugh. This was unnatural. It almost made her cringe.

Quickly, however, she got used to it.

Half-way through their first game, Adrien would spit out a snarky comment anytime he made a good hit. “Marinette, if you don’t lose this game, I’m losing faith in humanity, I am owning it right now.” He said with too much pride. It made Marinette laugh dryly, his haughtiness oozing from his tone.

“Don’t be so sure of yourself, Agreste, we’ve only just started.” Her tongue stuck out of her mouth, and silences were replaced with sounds of pounding on controller keys and hasty typing of a keyboard. Placing a hard hit against Adrien’s avatar, she let out a loud ‘Ohhh!’ and placed her controller onto her desk, arms up in a victory. “And that is what you call, a winner. I know you wouldn’t get it, but you should try to look it up in the dictionary. Oh wait, you’ll just find me!”

“Your jokes are trash, Marinette,” Adrien said matter-of-factly.

“Pfft, oh please, my jokes? At least I’m not spitting puns.” Marinette laid her hands behind her neck, spinning once on her chair. Tikki rolled in her hair and she tensed. She reminded herself to keep it down, to not disturb Tikki. She rubbed her kwami’s head once in apologies, and Tikki rolled over again, humming and grinning in response to her chosen’s affection.

“What!? Oh come on, jokes are perfection. I guess you could say you aren’t even _remote_ -ly funny!” He responded, his voice rising at his intentional pun. Marinette groaned into her mic quietly, running a hand over her face.

“Oh, God, stop.” She mumbled through her hands.

“You can’t _control_ me.” He replied, his eyebrows so obviously raised in self-esteem. She wanted to smack the smirk off of him, the one she knew was planted on his face.

“Oh, just for that, I’m going to beat your ass again in another game.” She spat into the mic. Adrien responded with a laugh, and it sank Marinette. She was laughing, and he was laughing… She didn’t get to have this much of a good time a lot. Sure, she had sleepovers with Alya, and she felt this way whenever she was with Chat Noir, relaxed and happy, and laughing.

But those weren’t always so carefree.

With Chat Noir as Ladybug, they would talk about patrol and Hawkmoth and they would comfort each other and make sure the other wasn’t going insane. With Chat Noir as herself, they would joke around, sure, but most of their conversations were filled with deeper underlies, always having each other’s back. And with Alya, well, she was just chock-full of gossip and Ladybug information, which always made her anxious.

But… She was laughing. Ladybug was the last thing on her mind. Her responsibilities, her relationships, her work, her duties, every weight on her shoulder was lifted. She thought about it for a second. _Maybe Alya was right about him…_ She thought. She didn’t want to dwell on it though. She had envied Adrien Agreste for years, spiting him for petty reasons, but he didn’t give her any reason to not feel that way, at least, not yet. In school, he still hadn’t spoken up for any of his friends, and out of it, he still found ways to get on her nerves.

Just because someone is fun doesn’t mean they’re a good person.

3 games later, the two had shared more unnecessary, but fun, banter. Along with a few small talks about classes, Alya and Nino, and even Ladybug and Chat Noir. “Oh, you’re a fan?” Adrien asked, a hint of excitement under his voice.

Marinette laughed, looking down at her sweatshirt. “I guess you could say that…”

“Ladybug is pretty awesome, isn’t she?” The admiration was leaking from his tone. Marinette suppressed a snort at the affection in his voice. Ironic.

“Oh, are you a Ladybug fangirl?” She asked, actually curious, but she also wanted to tease him.

“She is certainly the best out of the duo.” He replied. Her eyebrows cornered, his comment sending bile up her throat. She shouldn’t get so worked up over it, and she knew that. He didn’t know Chat Noir as she did, and she knew that too.

“What? Seriously? I’ve always been a Chat Noir girl, myself.” She responded, trying to not get too mad at him. She knew if she did, she could say something stupid, and it would be something she would regret. Whether it would give up her own identity or not, it could also give away her late-night visits from the aforementioned black cat. Both of which wouldn’t be good turnouts.

Adrien’s voice cracked a bit, before resurfacing through the audio of her headphones, which sat happily on her head, acting as a bit of a headboard for Tikki, who was rising and falling slowly on her head, and her breaths were even and steady, and small. “Oh, got a crush on the cat?” He taunted, mimicking her. She rolled her eyes, her answer immediately evolving out of her lips.

“Absolutely not. He’s too cocky. But… Ladybug wouldn’t be able to do what she does without him.” Marinette responded sweetly. She knew it was true. He huffed in response to her, silence enveloping the conversation. A couple of clicks and bangs later and,

“Oh, yes! Won again. What is that 3 against 2? I think I broke your streak, Agreste.” She laid her controller back down and took a sip of her water. He groaned behind the screen, faking a muffled sob. She smiled happily.

“Whatever, you cheater. You had me too distracted with your… thoughts! How dare you get me to think?” He asked sarcastically.

“Yeah, I know thinking is a bit of a foreign concept for you, but I’m glad I could finally open up those brain cells of yours and get you to use them.” She replied, only half-joking.

“I think you forget I’m fluent in 3 languages, miss.” He carefully returned. She rolled her eyes, for probably the tenth time that minute, and set down her drink.

“Yeah, and what are those? French, English, and dumb-ass?” She snorted at her joke, suddenly very proud of herself. How dare he call her jokes trash? Her jokes were great.

“Nope! Puns, suave, and champion.”

“Your champion title has been revoked as of tonight. I am the new champion.”

“So… you’re admitting I _was_ a champion, Buginette?”

She squeaked at the nickname, her mind racing, before realizing it was her profile name, and her heart sank heavily. “Oh, sorry, I don’t have to call you that-” His flustered-ness returning, and Marinette shaking her head, her palms sweaty as she rubbed them against her legs.

“No! It’s okay! I just didn’t realize. You don’t have to apologize for everything, you know…” She interrupted him, and didn’t know whether to be annoyed at the boy’s habit or be curious about how he got it.

“Sorry- I mean- Yeah… Got it.” She knew that 'got it' was the passive-aggressive term of sorry, but she let it slide.

“So now that you’ve made fun of my username, I would try to make fun of yours, but I genuinely can’t because it’s boring and I don’t know what it means.” She hastily changed the subject, trying to resolve the situation. His voice sounded guilty as if he should be apologizing for over-apologizing. 

Her efforts didn’t work.

“Oh! Well, the Agreste part is pretty self-explanatory. The E and the A are my mother’s and I’s initials.”

_His mother._

She cringed at herself, making her way to apologize. But she froze… Instead of apologizing, her brain resulted in a small; “What was her name?”

“Emilie.” He responded sadly. His voice was happy though as if the thought of her just reminded him of the Sun itself. Her mouth twitched to a small smile.  
Marinette had heard stories of Adrien’s mother before. At lunch, or during class, he would bring her up sometimes. Apparently, she was an actress. Adrien had mentioned that she loved Mediterranean food once when the four went to go grab some during lunch. He had also mentioned that she was his best friend. Guilt filled up her body.

She suppressed the guilt, knowing that she shouldn’t apologize for her death, or… disappearance. Adrien had never fully explained what had happened to her. She now felt guilty for a different reason. She had never enjoyed Adrien Agreste’s presence. Was this a too-soon thing? They had just started to make amends with the other, why did it feel so comfortable to talk about something so personal?

None the less, her words failed her. “Well. Tell me about her.” Adrien stammered, and Marinette blushed. Her mouth opened and stammered through her own words, “Oh! O-or don’t… You don’t have to! If you don’t… feel comfortable with that.”

“It’s okay Marinette. One day, I’ll tell you about her.”

_Too soon, Marinette… Got it._

“Got it.”

* * *

Staying up until 3 playing Mecha Strike wasn’t the smartest thing to do on a school day. But, none the less, the two walked into class the next morning, bags laid lazily over their shoulders, and eyes hung low. The two were both used to getting little to no sleep most nights, with superhero duties, or late-night visits. But, the late-night endeavors had never included staring at a brightly lit screen for 7 hours straight.

They shared a small smile walking into class, the realization hit them they had been talking to each other all night. Their small, light, awkward peals of laughter made the room tense, but not uncomfortable. “That was fun, Marinette!” Adrien’s usual enthusiasm broke the tired laughs. She smiled back and nodded.

She didn’t know how to act. On one hand, yes, admittedly, she had a good time with Adrien. On the other hand, she didn’t know how to treat him. He wasn’t her enemy anymore, he, by all means, wasn’t a close friend, he wasn’t even an acquaintance. What was he? She wasn’t sure, but she didn’t have much time to dwell before her thoughts were interrupted. “I’m glad we’re becoming friends.” He said after a brief moment of thought like he was pondering on whether it was the right thing to say.

“Becoming friends?” She questioned, almost asking herself the question more than the boy in front of her. He gave a quick ‘mhmm!’ and gripped onto his backpack straps, a smile on his face. Her eyes softened at the innocence and excitement presented through his features. She had never truly noticed the childlike innocence he displayed. She knew he was sheltered, but he looked like a baby bird meeting the world for the first time, all the time. She cleared her throat. “Right, yeah, sure.”

His eyebrows furrowed as people continued to flow into the classroom, starting their own conversations, or gathering their belongings. “What?”

“What do you mean ‘what’?” She asked, and her posture tightened. She didn’t enjoy how well he read her.

“You seem… Unhappy. About us being friends. I- Well, I know you don’t really like me, but I’m willing to try. If you are. I enjoy spending time with you.” Adrien said sheepishly.

Marinette was wildly uncomfortable. Her mouth was agape, stammering at his forwardness. Her blue eyes bore into his green eyes. She felt vulnerable, as if she couldn’t keep anything from him. He could read her mind, and her mind was currently racing a mile a minute. Her face flushed, and she felt the heat on her neck. “Haha! Yeah! Love would to!-- I-I mean to would love! I- ugh.” Her head dropped. Stammering. She hadn’t stammered around him in a while. Adrien laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down.

“You’ve always been funny, Marinette.” He sighed. The blush grew harder. She didn’t know why she was blushing, she felt embarrassed, and she blamed it on that.

“Right. Hilarious.” She stated flatly. She had never been happier that Adrien was a dumbass. “I, uhm, I would love to.” She finally said, her hands were clasped together, and she was standing on her toes. She felt Tikki rumble in her bag, and she instinctively grabbed onto it.

“Great! See ya later!” He responded, ignoring her weird out-of-the-blue attitude. He waved happily, a grin plastered to his face. Her body slumped once he turned away, and she dragged a hand down her face.

“God, why do I put myself into these situations?” She grumbled to herself, sliding into her seat, and banging her head onto her desk. She knew Alya would be excited, and she knew Tikki would be proud of her.

She wanted to sleep. Her mind was burning with thoughts. She didn’t want to do this. Sure, Marinette enjoyed his company! He… wasn’t all that bad. Actually, he wasn’t bad at all. She felt like an idiot. Had he really been a good person all this time? All her glares, all the banter, all the show-offy attitude? God, she didn’t know what to think.

She couldn’t figure him out, yet he looked at her like he knew everything about her. Why did he do that? He didn’t know her! He barely knew her! He didn’t know her as Alya did, or Chat Noir, or even Nino. She wanted to pull out her hair, and then pull out his in petty-spite of him being so unsolvable.

But she couldn’t think about it now. She had class, and she had Akuma attacks, and she had Chat Noir, and she had responsibilities. She couldn’t focus on this random boy… This boy who entrapped her mind and puzzled her. She wanted to know everything about him, but at the same time, she wanted to know nothing at all. She knew she would get too sucked in.

Chat Noir told her that he loved that about her. He had said once she met someone, or learned something, she dove straight in and figured out everything, and solved every calculating detail or circumstance before it ever happened. He would compliment her for this. She agreed, it was helpful. In an Akuma battle, for sure, and whenever they were in a dire life-threatening situation, or they needed to figure something out on short notice.

But she hated how it affected her everyday life.

Tikki told her that her superhero instincts would bleed into her everyday life, that her new life was now apart of her. She was Ladybug. With, or without the mask. She had to face that. She had to accept it. She had to realize that she wasn’t just Marinette when the mask was off. The responsibility followed her everywhere, especially as the Guardian.

But then time froze. And Madame Bustier piped up, and she looked at her surroundings. At the unknowing students around her, at the innocent kids. The kids _she_ protected. Her friends, friends that looked up to her without even knowing it. Her brain felt fuzzy.

“Good morning, class! Today is going to be a great day.”

And all of a sudden, she was a student again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow!! angst!! hell yeah!!
> 
> i love making my favorite girl suffer, it's very enjoyable. for me, at least. i hope you are all having a good day, and i hope you have a great father's day tomorrow! make sure to hug your father, unless he's gabriel agreste, then stick your middle finger up at him and walk away like a boss. some domestic fluff next chapter for the soul !!
> 
> I'm thinking of starting a series of post-reveal adrienette one-shots. one-shots help me from burning out and I've found myself musing post-reveal adrienette SO hard recently. so yeah, that'll probably happen lol. tell me what y'all think of that and of this chapter!
> 
> p.s idk if you can tell but writing enemies is so hard especially when they're mid-development. CHALLENGES! i need challenge anyway :') marinette is too soft for hate!!! js!!! jk i just love her <3


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette starts to experience some nightmares she could've sworn were gone. An Akuma attack hits, and Marinette gets a more... unexpected... visit from Chat Noir.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the delay with this chapter! It's the longest I've written so far, and I had to stop myself because I didn't even include all I had in mind for. Anyway, fuck Akuma attacks. They're so hard to write it took me 4 days alone to write just that, and it took up more than half the google doc. #boycottakumas2k20 this is my new petition please sign it.
> 
> Speaking of petitions, sign them! The BLM movement is nowhere near done, we're just getting started, so, yeah, do what you can!
> 
> Instagram: @s.ugarnoir  
> Twitter: @ladynoiree1

Oh no I can't believe  
Everything falling down around me  
But now we're holding our own  
And won't let go  
Holding our own in a great big storm  
It's a great big storm and we're holding our own  
 _Great Big Storm - Nate Reuss_

* * *

_The room was dark when she entered. Her kwami was floating beside her, her eyes bright and excited and hopeful for the girl next to her. “Welcome, Marinette. Are you ready to begin?” The dark figure stated in a clear, loud voice. The woman’s voice was full of clarity, and happiness, but it was also serious and dark... like she knew everything about everyone._

_Marinette took a deep breath, her hands laying at her side, and her chin raised. Looking over at Tikki, her kwami nodded. “Yes.”_

_“Ah, good, Marinette. Your confidence is refreshing. I’ve been watching you, you know. Sometimes, your clumsiness shines through your presence. But I know who you truly are. I know you. And I know you lie to me. And to your friends. You’re not as honest as you say you are, Ladybug.”_

_The woman turned around. Her hair, blonde and long, and her face thin. The face morphed and Marinette’s stomach twisted. Standing in front of her, Chat Noir stepped forward. “I know you are, Marinette.”_

_Suddenly, his costume was white. His eyes were bright blue. His smirk was deep, and his voice was lost. He looked a million miles away. The darker room was now very bright, burning Marinette’s eyes._

_All of a sudden, she was falling through the floor. Chat Blanc out of sight, and the woman’s voice a distant memory. She kept falling, not knowing when it would stop._

Marinette’s body shot off her bed, her breath heavy, and her eyes wide, the sweat was dripping from her, and her legs were squirming, searching for a landing. She looked over and saw Tikki slipping on a cloud of silk. Her eyes were wide, and her body was shivering, rocking back and forth. The dream flooded her mind like permanent ink, Chat Blanc’s eyes engraved into her thoughts.

_“I thought I had lost you!”_ The voice rang through her ears.

Hugging her knees, she didn’t sleep for the rest of the night.

* * *

The Akuma attack dragged her out of bed. Tikki had woken up soon before, only allowed to get halfway through her sleep-is-important lecture before the notification lit up her phone’s screen. “We’re not done with this conversation Mari-!” Tikki shrieked, before getting cut off.

“Tikki, Spots On!”

Dawn had just passed, and the sunrise was still fulfilling the sky. If this was anything like the last Akuma attack, Marinette cursed herself internally for not getting the amount of sleep she needed. However, she trusted her kwami, and her partner to keep her alive and awake during the battle. Although, so far, her partner was nowhere in sight.

She was a bit surprised when she saw him gleefully bounce over the buildings, a ‘whoo-hoo!’ accompanied his leap. She rolled her eyes at the playfulness coming from him, along with the energy. When he landed next to her, he kissed her knuckles charmingly and shot her a wink. Ah, classic Chat charm. A bit of her tiredness subsided at the natural physical contact.

“It’s criminal to be that energized at 6 in the morning.” She wined, swatting his hand away and hitting him on the head with her yo-yo, causing him to help and rub his head in a short pain. She cocked an eyebrow at him in curiosity. “Aren’t cats like nocturnal or something?”

Chat Noir scoffed, his hand gesturing a quick nonchalant wave, “This cat happens to be a morning person. I leave the tiredness to Plagg. Come on, bugaboo, no time for conversation. We’ve got an Akuma to catch.”

She wanted to argue with him further about how he was the one making conversation, not her, but she suppressed her annoyance and flung her yo-yo forward.

The Akuma had already made its way well into the streets, near the boardwalk at this point. It’s classic 70’s disco-skater look was full of neon colors, the thing that stood out about the Akuma was not only that she could fly, but their hand. Her fingers were full of different circular bands, some silver, some gold, some simple, and some with small diamonds encrusted on them. “Are those wedding rings?” Chat questioned, holding his baton to his eye atop a chimney on a nearby home.

“Looks like it. Well, kitty, we’ve got some marriage counseling to do.” Marinette huffed, side-eyeing her friend. He shrugged, catapulting on his baton, to swing it at the Akuma’s head. The attack knocked her to the bridge, near Andre’s ice-cream cart. The Akuma whined, floating upwards.

Ladybug flung herself over to the action. The Akuma in question was small. She looked like a teenage girl. She laughed as Chat Noir spun his baton after his first attack. “Think you can damage me with a silly stick? You tried to hurt me. You aren’t deserving of love. I am the Ring Bearer, and I take away all the love from your body, ooh, along with your pretty ring of your own.” She swooped down, eyeing Chat’s miraculous.

Ladybug focused in, looking at her for clues. She wondered if the Akuma was in one of the rings, but she already had well over 40 on her hands, her skin peeling back on her tiny fingers to fit more. It looked… painful. Her eyes weren’t human, either, once Marinette looked back up at her face. The akumatized victim had red sclera’s, and neon blue broken-hearts as irises. She watched Ring Bearer dive for her partner, and Chat Noir easily avoided her the first couple of simple attacks. She realized him starting to struggle once she started flying under the bridge, only to pop up on either side of him, taking him off guard.

Her love-sucking abilities came from her palm, Chat Noir dove behind a bench, and Ring Bearer unintentionally hit a screaming man on the other side of the bridge, in direct line of Chat. No ring was produced on her finger, however, the man in question turned grey; like he was straight out of a black-and-white film. His eyes turned into broken-hearts, and his posture stiffened. Someone ran over to him, and took his hand, presumably a girlfriend. However, instead of noticing her, he just turned around, shook his head, and walked away.

He was… walking out. “Of course,” Marinette whispered to herself. Hawk Moth’s akumatizations were getting more personal by the victim. And this one was one of the most personal attacks they had seen in a while.

Looking back at the victim, she scanned her body for more luck of finding the Akuma, finally, something struck out to her. Her hair was in a scrunchie, modeling the 70’s theme of her outfit. Her hair was teased, and she had 3 different layers of shirts on, along with neon pink platform heels. She smirked. “Chat! Her Akuma, it’s in her hair tie!”

She didn’t even try to use the term scrunchie, she wasn’t going to take the time to explain it to him.

He met her eye, and nodded fiercely, launching himself toward it. However, his attack was too straight forward. The Ring Bearer lifted her hand, and Ladybug swiftly took her yo-yo and grabbed her partner by the waist, sweeping him up and to a nearby rooftop away from the bridge. “Got a plan?” He asked.

“I’m thinking. Sorry for baiting you, kitty, I needed to figure out her angle. But… I know why she was akumatized. Hawk Moth is getting ruthless. It’s divorced parents.” Her voice sounded weak, and it leaked with sympathy and sorrow.

He groaned, rolling his eyes in disgust. “No problem, m’lady. I’m glad you figured it out… He normally goes for like, a teased classmate. These emotions, they’re unsullied.” Ladybug blinked at the vocabulary.

“They’re stronger. Stronger emotions equal stronger Akuma equal stronger fight equals… Well… weaker us.” She rambled, watching as the Ring Bearer wreaked havoc among the streets, more and more people around them becoming black-and-white, and more and more rings growing onto her fingers. It made Ladybug wince. She nodded her head, watching her a bit more. “Lucky charm!” She exclaimed, throwing her yo-yo in the air.

Drawing out her hands, she extended them to catch the object, however, what appeared in her palm was nothing other than a red and black spotted magnet. “Was I wrong? Is the Akuma in one of the rings?” She furrowed her eyebrows, looking around for a solution to her answer.

Chat spun his baton, leaping to his feet. The two looked at each other, and nodded, before simultaneously launching themselves towards the Akumatized victim. Chat went for the distraction, using his baton as a shield from the beams being released from her hand. The Ring Bearer looked around, frustrated by Chat’s easy-escape from her wrath. She saw a couple sitting nearby, huddled in an alleyway, and growled, before launching herself toward them. Chat catapulted himself towards a scaffolding hanging above the couple, straight where the girl was heading towards.

“No!” Chat cried, “Cataclysm!” He expressed, reaching the scaffolding just before the Ring Bearer, and it turned into ash, falling at the couple’s feet. The Ring Bearer just yelled louder, and Chat had to cover his hands over his ears at the piercing cry.

Ladybug vaulted through the rooves, still aiming for the hair tie that pulled her teased ponytail out of her face. She gave a quick huff through her nose and spotted her partner at the corner of her eye. Chat met eyes with her and used his baton to launch himself up to meet her. “Quick problem, I already used my Cataclysm. I’m gonna detransform… Soon.” His eyes were frantic, she shook her head, dismissing him.

“It’s alright. Just come back. I’ve already called my lucky charm, too. But… I have no idea what to do with it. I’m positive it’s not in the rings so…” Her gaze made way to the destructive, over-emotional villain, whose cries made her ears ring, and powers made her heartache.

Her earrings beeped again, and Chat informed her that she had 2 minutes left. She groaned, looking down at the magnet in her hands. “God, I don’t know- I don’t know what to do!” She yelled, frustrated. She felt Chat’s hand on her shoulders, and she shivered, as it reminded her of his playful shoves or defensive gestures. _You’re not Marinette right now._ She had to dutifully remind herself

“Hey, it’s gonna be alright! It doesn’t matter now anyway, you’re about to detransform. And so am I. Let’s just find an alleyway or something, and then we’ll return and you can figure out more about her? Isn’t that how it works, the more you know about the Akuma the easier your lucky charm will be able to figure out?” Chat Noir queried. Ladybug hummed, and nodded her head, still looking around for answers.

The two ran off, splitting into parallel alleys. They transformed back and simultaneously fed their kwamis. Marinette let out her hands, allowing Tikki to lay gracefully in them. “Your brain isn’t working because you aren’t getting sleep!” Tikki scolded in between bites of her cookie.

“Hold the lecture, Tikki. I just need to figure this out, and then I’ll sleep for a week if that’s what you want. Got any advice? I got nothing from that magnet, and I can’t figure out where the Akuma is!”

She heard her partner’s voice question her from the other side of the alley. “Wait, what do you mean you aren’t getting any sleep?” The concern was dripping from his voice, and Marinette huffed and stomped the ground in frustration and impatience.

“We can talk about this later, cat. It’s no big deal, we just need to get the Akuma. Got any ideas?”

“None. What about the hair tie? It’ll be an easy try, just try to tie her up with your yo-yo and I’ll grab the hair tie and break it. It’s our best bet, isn’t it? And what’s going on? Are the nightmares back?” He resurfaced the subject, and Ladybug knew he wasn’t going to drop it. _Curse your stubbornness, Chat Noir._

“We’ll talk about it later. The hair tie is our best bet, I agree. Is your kwami fed?” Ladybug responded, questioning her comrade.

“All ready, Spots.” She heard Plagg respond from the other side of the alley. She laughed at his readiness and his nickname for her. She was happy about her connection to the kwami. However, she didn’t quite enjoy the habits he lent to Chat Noir during battles, or out of battles for that matter.

“Spots? Really, Plagg?” Chat scolded his kwami in a hissed whisper that Marinette was still able to hear. She could feel the eyeroll radiating off her partner. “Plagg, claws out!”

Marinette laughed once more, before focusing her gaze towards her kwami, who was as equally annoyed as her chosen. “God, that stink-pile is really taking a run for his money.” She teased.

“Tikki, spots on!” She cried out, and the transformation washed over her body, an intense sense of energy also washing over her. The suit gave the two superheroes energy, stamina, and a calculated sense of their surroundings. Their senses were elevated, as well as their perception and view. It was so normal to the two civilians at this point, that their quick reflexes and heightened sensations bled into their daily lives, easily picking up a falling book, or bouncing back up from a fall in Marinette’s case.

_“You have good reflexes.” The memory fled back to her. So, her mom made her join fencing. Just her luck that Adrien Agreste was, of course, the perfect loved model, was also the best fencer on the team. She groaned at the irony of it all, the one person she tried her best to stay away from was shoved in her face, and by her own mother!_

_The fencing itself wasn’t that bad. It gave her battle strategy and even helped her defeat an Akumatized person later that day. She never questioned where Chat gained his skill for the craft, but at that time, identities were the last thing she wanted to know about. It didn’t even cross her mind to ask him._

_But of course, there are downsides to everything, and she was put against Adrien. Of all people! There were 10 other people on the team, and just her luck she’s placed with Adrien. She wanted to sink into the Earth and never return. This was just when she had met him, too, so her vile nature towards the blonde mop was nowhere near the peak, but it was developing._

_A hot rich blonde with a foul disposition. Marinette found it comical how stereotypical that was. Every remark he made just made her want to yell at him, to the point where her throat was tight by the end of the lesson._

_Sure, she took the compliment. With a tight hum, and a nod. She ignored how his eyes darted from hers, and his posture stiffened uncomfortably. Got to make an appearance._

_She never went to another lesson after that day._

Snapping out of her thoughts, she landed on top of a rooftop next to the cat-suited boy. Taking out her bug phone she checked for sightings of the girl, now out of sight. Her throat burned when the last spotting was outside of her parent’s bakery. The live feed on the Ladyblog didn’t help her worry either. Alya. She was so close to the villain, she wanted to scream out her name to the screen, but she held back, knowing it would cause Chat to give her an eyebrow raise, and Alya wouldn’t hear her so it would just be plain embarrassing.

Taking their weapons, they hastily fled to the scene of the crime. The whole city was basically just walking zombies at this point. Lifeless hollow shells without an inch of love dripping from their bodies. The Ring Bearer in question had fingers that were each a foot long at least, shelled with rings of all different colors and sizes and prices. Marinette winced when she saw her parents, backs faced towards each other and mindlessly walking the streets, ignoring the other as if they never existed.

Ladybug threw her yo-yo forward, wrapping it in a surprise around the victim. She screeched in protest, wiggling her limbs in an attempt to get out, and flexing her hands to release her power onto the streets. The victim tumbled towards her, and Chat Noir was already in place next to her, ready to do his job. He grabbed the scrunchie from her hair and used his baton to rip it. Marinette’s eyebrows heightened at the ease of the action. Elastics weren’t easy to break, and coming from a designer, she knew that.

But her face fell when nothing was produced from the action. The villain cackled, and Ladybug accidentally lost her grip at the notion that the Akuma was in fact, not in her hair tie. At her slump, the villain fell out of the yo-yo’s grip. Ladybug released a sharp ‘no!’ and fell forward, her arm reached out to try and grab her, but she was far out of reach.

“Well, there goes that idea.” Chat said, dropping the elastic at his feet. Ladybug pounded her hand against her forehead. It was only a matter of seconds before she was once again face to face with a floating villain. She was spewing antics and threats from her mouth while releasing her hand to the pair. They immediately spun their weapons in their fingers, dodging and blocking the beam of white light protruding from her hand.

“Just you wait Ladybug and Chat Noir! Soon, you will be defeated, and you will no longer feel love. Nobody deserves it, who did anything to deserve it?! Love is a lie, and I will prove it. And then, you will give me your own precious little jewels, and my collection will be heightened!” She grinned toward the pair. Ladybug’s limbs were tiring, and her eyes were growing heavy.

She wanted nothing more than to drift to sleep. Suddenly, the thought of giving up felt nice… A weight off her shoulders. The Akuma could just make her numb, and the thought of not feeling felt refreshing for a bit. Then she looked next to her, at her partner. And the minute she did, all her thoughts washed away. She couldn’t leave him, not as Ladybug, and unquestionably not as Marinette.

“Chat Noir! Cover me!” She screeched, her mind narrowing. She flew behind him, and immediately released her lucky charm as her partner shielded the superhero from the Ring Bearer’s last two targets. Her hands opened, and a fork flew in her hand. Immediately, she knew what to do with it. A smirk grew on her face, and all the dots connected in her mind.

Fork. Rings…. No not rings. A bracelet. A bangle, to be precise. It lay sitting on her wrist, untouched and unscathed. Her eyes landed on Chat Noir’s shoulders. She took a couple of steps back, still being shielded by her best friend. Giving herself a running start, she launched herself off his shoulders and gracefully flipped in the air to avoid the Ring Bearer’s change in direction. Using the fork, she fit the fork underneath the bangle and pulled hard. The bangle snapped in half, and out flew and black and purple butterfly.

Chat Noir dropped to his knees, physically exhausted, and laid his eyes in his hands. Ladybug purified the Akuma and called her Miraculous Ladybugs to fix the damage and the civilians. Walking over to the victim, she knelt down and rubbed her shoulder. “Are you alright?” She attempted to keep her voice steady, but her knees were wobbling.

“I’m - I’m- What happened?” She rubbed her forehead with her wrist. Ladybug felt Chat Noir kneel next to her, a hand placed on waist back to keep her steady, the other on the victim’s knee. Empathy released through his eyes.

“It’s all alright now. Do you know what happened to cause you to be Akumatized?” Chat Noir asked. Ladybug’s eyebrows furrowed. For starters, she told Chat Noir why she was akumatized. Secondly, Chat Noir never talked to the victims. Her chest twisted, and her jaw locked. She didn’t know why she didn’t want him to do so.

“M-My parents. They- Uhm, They split up I guess I was just-- Overwhelmed.” She said, taking the now fixed bracelet from Ladybug’s palm, and slipping it on her wrist. She fiddled around with it and pressed it to her lips for safekeeping. Chat Noir’s eyes softened at the motion.

Chat Noir offered to take the victim home, for he wasn’t transforming anytime soon, and he looked at his partner with wary eyes. She knew she was going to be talked to later. He propelled out with the girl, and Marinette fell into an alley. Instantly, she received a notification from her bug phone. Checking it, her lips pursed at the notification.

_Chat Noir_  
Meet me earlier for patrol. 5 instead of 6.

Marinette groaned, and detransformed, laying out a cookie for Tikki. “He’s just worried about you, Marinette!” She said cheerfully, before taking a bite into the pink macaron.

Marinette sat against the wall of the alley, daring to close her eyes. “I know he is, Tikki. But this just isn’t a conversation I like having!”

“Go home, and get some sleep. You’re gonna need it for patrol.” Tikki requested. Marinette nodded her head once and opened her bag for Tikki to fly into. She made her way towards her house, hunched over, and craving sleep.

* * *

Adrien’s day wasn’t like the others. An early Akuma attack broke through his schedule, and he ended up arriving at his photoshoot extra late. He was kind of happy about it, though. He got to be more lenient, and Nathalie wasn’t on his back as much, because the whole day’s schedule was already messed up, most people were playing it by ear.

Akuma attacks hadn’t been as frequent recently, but every time they came, Ladybug and himself had to detransform at least once. In the beginning, that was severely uncommon, Ladybug only detransformed to go see Master Fu, and Chat Noir only did when he was injured or had to get out quickly. But, it had been 4 years since that. It made him cringe thinking of his younger self, traipsing around in a skin-tight cat costume with no shame. He was used to being in the spotlight as Adrien Agreste, but being Chat Noir was a whole new experience.

His mind was well far away during the shoot. It took him several more moments to register what the cameraman would tell him to do. His mind kept wandering to yesterday, and the night before. He had talked to her, and not fucked it up. Sure, he was behind a screen, and it gave him the same fearless confidence he had as Chat Noir behind a mask. But she was talking to _Adrien_ , not Chat Noir. It made his heart soar and his stomach twist. And she agreed to be friends with him! Just a month ago, Marinette couldn’t even look Adrien in the eye.

Now she was agreeing to be friends with him?

“Kid, your heart is racing a mile a minute, could you stop thinking about pigtails and start getting this over with?!” Plagg hissed from his shirt during their break. Adrien rolled his eyes and took a swig out of his water. Looking over at the snack table, fruits and vegetables lined the sheet, along with some sweets such as donuts, crepes, croissants. The pastries reminded him of Marinette’s bakery. He fell deeper into his trace. He was quickly snapped out of it when Plagg pinched his forearm, causing Adrien to jump and a couple of surrounding models to eye him weirdly. He passed it off with an awkward laugh and a wave.

“Plagg, I can’t help it! She’s finally agreeing to be friends with me. She can get to know me! Actual me. Not Chat Noir.” Adrien beamed, his toes raising with excitement.

“Does this mean you’re gonna start staying out with her until 4 in the morning?” Plagg pleaded, pulling on Adrien’s collar.

“What?! Plagg, you’re crazy. No way! I can’t give up on that, besides, what am I gonna do? Just out of the blue stop visiting her? That’s just plain rude.” He took another sip of his water, before screwing the cap back on, and walking behind a corner so Plagg could fly out of his shirt and he could feed him.

“Cheese. Now, kid! I’m starving.” Plagg whined, and Adrien took the slice of camembert out of his bag, and Plagg nodded in satisfactory. “You always could, though! There’s no need to see her anymore. You’re letting her know the real you. And it would get me more sleep. It’s exhausting when you spend that long in the suit.”

“Plagg, I’m not even doing anything. You know what? Fine. I’ll start leaving earlier from her house. But I’m not going to stop. She’s… Nicer… There.”

“Oh what, you mean she pets you?” Plagg narrowed his eyes. Adrien darted his eyes and blushed with embarrassment. Since the first purring occurrence happened, it became a very natural thing for the two. She would jokingly ruffle his hair, or find herself making small braids with his relatively short strands, and Marinette would even find herself mindlessly combing his locks with her fingers while talking, or reading, or doing anything else, really.

Chat Noir never realized his desire for the scratch until it actually happened. He always liked it when Ladybug would scratch under his chin or anything, but she very very rarely made him purr. With Marinette, it was like second nature. Given, he didn’t really realize when he would purr and he would make quite the effort to stop once he did. But it fulfilled a need he didn’t know he had.

“Whatever, kid. Visit pigtails all you want, but it might not end well in the long run.” Plagg warned, worry coursing his face. Adrien just shook his head and walked back over to the studio. The fluorescent lights felt natural on his skin, every inch of his body taking in the light, and forming to fit the backdrop behind him, along with the camera man’s wants, and the director’s needs.

His dad’s face sat stern on the camera screen next to him; and his eyes burned into his son’s actions. After talking with Plagg, his mind was more on the money, and he focused better. But the thought of her black hair and bluebell eyes didn’t leave his mind once.

He knew he was getting in too deep. He hadn’t been this confused about a girl since he first met Ladybug. Curse teenage hormones, but he liked how hard to get she was. Being a model, and basically having this perfect image in the public eye, girls swooned over him left and right. Obviously not all girls, a majority of the girls in his class never bat an eye at the blonde. But Marinette, well she just straight up didn’t like him. But she agreed to be his friend. And she talked to him now… His head burned. He had never met someone more mysterious, other than Ladybug of course. But that was a bit unfair, seeing he doesn’t even know her name.

“You can admit that you like her.” Plagg teased on the way home. Adrien stuttered a bit, his ears growing red.

“I don’t like her, like that. I like how close I’m getting with her. Okay, that’s all!” He defended himself, his ears growing warmer. Sure, he was infatuated with her! But he didn’t have a crush on her.

“You’ve been going over there for a month now.” Plagg deadpanned, his voice was monotonous, and heavily ticked off.

“She’s my favorite civilian.” He responded cockily, extending his neck in pride.

“Yeah but, you wanted to tell her.” His kwami said confidently, grabbing cheese out of his chosen’s pocket.

“I did not!” Adrien hissed at his accusations.

“You did. You hesitated on the call the other night.” Plagg said, ignoring the boy’s eye contact and taking another bite of some stored cheese in Adrien’s pocket.

“I thought you were asleep! Plagg!” Adrien whined, falling back in his seat.

“Look, if you want to tell her about your Mom, go ahead, that’s your call. But it’s a bit strange for people that aren’t even classified friends yet.” Plagg teased more, knowing he was getting a rise out of Adrien. It was one of his favorite activities, other than, well, eating cheese.

“We are friends!” Adrien snapped back, offended.

“No, Adrien, you’re not. She and Chat Noir are friends. Adrien and Marinette are well… I honestly don’t know what to call you two. Enemies, I guess isn’t the word anymore. Acquaintances? Problematic sexually frustrated classmates?” Plagg bumped Adrien in the shoulder, and Adrien stared down at his friend, unamused.

“I’ll go with acquaintances, thanks,” Adrien replied.

“Whatever, kid.” Plagg snorted.

“She’s just… trustworthy. Whether she’s my friend, or not. She’s comfortable.” He shrugged sheepishly, slurring his words a bit.

Plagg rolled his eyes at his chosen’s obliviousness, and flew back into his collared shirt, snuggling himself into the edges with his cheese. The rest of the ride home was silent, Adrien’s mind too preoccupied to concentrate on anything else.

* * *

By the time patrol had hit, Marinette had gotten a couple of hours of sleep. She cursed Chat Noir for making the patrol start earlier instead of end later, but he’s got a life too, she guessed. However, the only thing Chat Noir seemed to do after the hours of their patrol was to visit her. Which, she guessed she looked forward to. She never minded the visits, and they got more and more enjoyable as their relationship flourished. She saw it as a benefit, plus, he was a good listener. Which, she knew he would be doing a lot of listening tonight.

Swinging down next to him at 5 pm sharp during their normal patrol meeting spot, she took a deep breath and looked at him, a small smile on her face.

“Did you get any sleep?” He asked, one of his eyebrows up, which she couldn’t see through his mask.

“Yeah. 4 hours.” She informed him. “They just came back last night, I was going to tell you.” She exploded, seeing the worry come on his face.

“You still won’t tell me what happened! It was 2 years ago, LB. And you still won’t tell me! We’re supposed to trust each other.” He pleaded, turning towards her.

“And I do trust you! I promise. I do. I just, I can’t mess with time. You know what you know, and that’s all you’re gonna know for now.” She said, her voice a bit stricter at the subject of business.

“Bug, all I know is that I knew your identity and I wasn’t myself. I don’t know what either of those means, and I can’t help you unless I do.” Chat Noir swung his legs back around so he was facing the roof itself, still had his head turned to face her.

“You don’t have to help me.” She whispered. He placed a hand on her shoulder apprehensively.

“I want to. Not only does it obviously affect you out there, but it affects, well, you! As a person.” He argued back. She took a deep breath. She hated not being able to tell Chat Noir everything. But, as a guardian, there were some things they shouldn’t know. The only other person aware of all these events is Alix. And she knew the toll they take on her. She couldn’t bear to see it on her partner.

“I just can’t Chat. You know that.” She grabbed his hand with hers, patting it twice. She resisted the urge to rest her hands in his hair, such an easy and simple motion for Marinette. Not so much for Ladybug.

“Will you be able to sleep better tonight?” He asked. She hummed and nodded, and he released his hand. She knew he was still worried, but he didn’t want to get her worked up, so he dropped the subject a bit earlier than he intended to.

“Well. Early patrol, I guess.” He shrugged. Ladybug laughed and looked around at her surroundings. The sun was still high enough in the sky that it hadn’t begun to set yet. That would change soon, and the fact dawned on her. She groaned internally at the upcoming Fall. _Fitting name. Fall._ She thought to herself.

Her eyebrows lifted at her next idea, and she smirked towards her partner. “Or, we could play tag?”

“Oh, oh you’re so on, my lady.” He said, grabbing his baton, and bringing his hand forward in a fist. Ladybug repeated his actions, the smile plastering her face. “Rock, paper, scissors, shoot!” They said in unison, and Chat Noir groaned when the girl in front of him flattened out her hand.

“You’ve been pulling rock since we were 13!” She laughed, grabbing her yo-yo and getting ready to start the game.

“I was taught that rock always wins! You deceive me.” He spat pettily. Ladybug gaped and wiped the purposefully placed spit off her cheek.

“I’m cutting down your time for that. 15 seconds.” She said, pushing him away.

“What?! Unfair.” He whined, slumping forward.

“You’re losing time, kitty.” Her confidence was raised under the circumstance. And he immediately bolted off after her words. She laughed at his antics, and slowly counted to 15 in her head.

* * *

Chat Noir arrived at Marinette’s only 15 minutes after their patrol ended. Marinette took the time to hastily wash her hair in the sink, and change into a sweater she finished, and some biker shorts. She let her hair air dry, and almost screamed when she saw Chat sitting on her bed when she exited the bathroom. She saw Tikki fly back into the bathroom at his presence. 

“Oh my god, Chat Noir!” She hissed, throwing her hairbrush at him. It struck him in the eye and he winced, flying back on her bed. She clasped her hand over her mouth in reaction and climbed up her ladder, removing his hand from his eye as he rocked back and forth.

“God, Princess, you’ve really got a good throwing arm.” He winced and blinked his eye a couple of times to try and regain focus.

“I’m sorry!” Once he gained back his focus, he beamed at her, only to be greeted with a slap on the shoulder.

“Ouch! God, what was that for?!” He said, rubbing his shoulder.

“Coming into my room unannounced, I almost had a heart attack, you stupid cat!” She slapped him again, and his hand went back to rubbing his shoulder.

“I’m sorry! I’m- ow! Mari- Ow! Stop!” He began to apologize, and she continued to hit him, grabbing a pillow a slamming against his shoulder.

She took a deep breath and sat back on her knees. After a few seconds of silence. She shrugged her shoulders and climbed back down. “Okay, I’m done.”

“Wh- Mari!” He fell forward on her bed, leaning over the edge to look down at her on her computer.

“You’re gonna fall if you’re not careful, and I’m not explaining that to my parents.” She informed, not looking up from her computer as she typed away.

“Whaaaattt’re you doin’?” He slurred, grunting, trying to get comfortable in his position, but it was a bit of a lost cause.

“Homework, Chat. You should try it sometime.” She said, side-eyeing him from her seat with a small smile. He chuckled and flipped himself back to sitting on her bed with minimal struggle. Chat proceeded to climb down the ladder and sit beside her on the floor.

She looked down at him, her blue eyes still somehow shining in the moonlight, along with help from the blue light of her computer. “You alright? You look strange.” She asked, noticing him staring.

Chat shook his head and laughed awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. He was happy he was in the shadows so she couldn’t see the blush on his cheeks. _Not a crush, huh?_ He blamed that thought on Plagg and obtained the urge to roll his eyes.

“Yeah! I’m all good!” He laughed. Marinette cocked an eyebrow before returning her focus to her computer screen.

A video started playing, and he recognized the voice as a gaming streamer he used to watch when he wasn’t in school. “Homework, huh?” He asked smugly. She flicked his forehead, and he readjusted his position to lean against her chair, and peer up at the video on the screen. The voice and the face of the streamer brought back nostalgia in him. He smiled sadly. He liked the old free time he had when homeschooled. Not that it was much more, honestly, he probably would have even more now if he wasn’t also a superhero.

Her hand naturally led it’s way to his hair, and she absent-mindedly combed her fingers through. The motion made them both fall into a comfortable silence, the only volume filling the room was the gamer’s commentary and Chat Noir’s reassuring purrs.

“Marinette?” Chat asked after about a half-hour of them watching. He could barely concentrate on the video in front of him. He kept looking up to meet her side profile, or dig his head deeper into her palm.

“Hmm?” She responded, looking down at him. Her hand had slowed, but didn’t move position. His eyes glowed as he stared at her. He didn’t know what came over him to try to get her attention. Their eye connection held substantial tension in the room, and Chat Noir’s mouth made no attempt to react to her answer.

He knew he was falling. Plagg kept telling him. But he would never, ever, admit it. For now, he kept his gaze set on the girl’s eyes. They bore into him like she knew his darkest secrets. And he wanted to tell her them. He wanted to tell her everything. He understood why Plagg was so wary now. He was willing to give up a lot for the girl in front of him.

This complicated, dreadfully stubborn, something annoying, hyperactive, confusing as all hell girl. That Chat Noir was so tangled up with.

He shook his head dismissively, and she smiled, returning her gaze to the computer.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow, i love pining adrien agreste <3 our blondie is falling hard and he's falling fast, oh well sux for u adrien xoxo  
> also, angst!!!! angsty 16 year old guardian marinette, got it? good. glad we've established that.
> 
> again, sorry for the delay. definitely the most challenging chapter I've written.  
> also, does anyone else keep accidentally like getting themselves indulged into 100,000-word fanfics bc i keep dOing that and they're ALL group chat fanfics!! holy hell!! group chat fanfics are SO entertaining, so if you have any please send them my way xo
> 
> xx, Emma


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tl;dr "i'm just tryna help you get some"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello!! I hope you all had a good week. just an FYI, uploads are going to be very frequent this week because I'm starting driver's ed next week and therefore won't be posting like at all? And I don't know I don't wanna leave y'all without any content for a week because I don't want you to think I'm giving up on this. I'm not! Just learnin' how to drive. Which btw, will Adrien ever? Midnight thoughts but fr.
> 
> Thanks for all the comments, kudos, bookmarks, and positive feedback. I appreciate it so much, and all the constructive criticism I get. It's helped me so much, and it was a big helper in the making of this chapter.
> 
> Instagram: @s.ugarnoir  
> Twitter: @ladynoiree1

take me to your best friend's house  
I loved you then and I love you now  
Don't take me tongue-tied  
Don't wave no goodbye  
 _Tongue Tied - Grouplove_

* * *

“Plagg, I gave you three wheels of cheese last night and you’re telling me they’re already gone?” Adrien groaned, leaning against his pillow at the crack of dawn, awakened to Plagg’s whining.

“I gave you kwami knowledge! We had serious talks! Now give me cheese.” He replied, falling on top of Adrien’s cheek. Adrien smothered his face into his pillow.

“Plagg, we had two serious conversations. One of which was you telling me I had a crush on Marinette, which isn’t even serious. It was just you being nosey.” Adrien talked into his pillow. Plagg made a ‘pfft’ sound and tugged a bit on Adrien’s hair.

“Kid, you’re an oblivious hopeless romantic. It’s painful, and it’s disgusting. You’ve reached your quota for the month, now give me cheese! I’m starving!” Plagg said, pulling harder on the blonde’s hair.

Adrien screeched, and swatted Plagg away, reaching into one of his boxes inside his bedside table, and giving it to Plagg, who yelped with glee. “It’s not… disgusting. Make up your mind. Yesterday you told me it could be dangerous to see her, but then egged me on about a crush? You make no sense.” Adrien groaned, falling back onto his bed. “Marinette… Hates me. Plagg.”

“She doesn’t hate you! Well, she might, but she’s warming up.”

“Oh yeah? 2 weeks ago I walked into a classroom with her and Alya, she looked at me, rolled her eyes, and then stormed out. She ditched an entire class just so she could avoid me. I didn’t even do anything that day!” He moaned, rolling on his bed.

“That was before you stayed up playing video games together, nerds.” Plagg scoffed, talking through his bite of cheese, and Adrien scrunched his nose in disgust to his actions.

“Plagg, I’m confused. Do you want me to like her or not? You’re so confusing.” Adrien laughed.

“Kid, you’re seventeen and you’ve only kissed Ladybug, both times you don’t remember; maybe I’m just helping you get some.” Plagg shrugged.

“Wh- Plagg!” Adrien hissed, his cheeks burning red with embarrassment. “You told me it would be dangerous! Now you’re telling me to get some!?”

“Why do you think Ladybug makes you two hide identities? It’s dangerous for superheroes to have connections. But it’s not dangerous for Adrien to have connections. Just man up, you big wimp.” Plagg raised his eyes and smirked.

Adrien furrowed his eyebrows. He didn’t think he was putting Marinette in danger? Genuinely. He wouldn’t be her friend if he thought that. He only visited at night, and it wasn’t like other people knew about his visits to her balcony, at least, it didn’t seem like Marinette shared that information. Then again, she told Alya everything.

“This conversation isn’t over,” Adrien said, pointing at his kwami, then swinging his legs off his bed and getting ready for school.

“Yes, it is! I can only be bribed with more cheeeseee!” Plagg shrilled, flying after his chosen.

* * *

Marinette had to get used to not scowling whenever Adrien walked into the room. _You’re trying to be nice to him, Marinette. Even if you do want to slap his all too perfect model smirk off his face._ She had to remind herself multiple times a day.

“Hey, Marinette!” He beamed playfully. Marinette shot a mocking smile, then rolled her eyes at her habit, and looked away. “Right, good morning to you, too.” He mumbled in a softer tone. She tightened her gaze towards him at his sarcasm.

“Girl, what was that? I thought you said you were becoming friends with him! What happened to that?” Alya hissed, obviously upset with her best friend.

“Alya, I said I’d try.” She said back to her. Alya tilted her head and pursed her lips. Marinette groaned at the stern gaze being given to her. “Look, old habits die hard. I’m trying!”

Almost on cue, Adrien started to tell Nino about his photoshoot the other day. Nino was listening intently, he loved hearing about his best friend’s day, but to Marinette, it was all just one big show off. It always had been. Even if he was fun to play Mecha Strike with, that doesn’t mean Marinette’s just gonna all of a sudden pipe up and hug and kiss his… stupidly attractive face.

During lunch, Marinette took the liberty to spend some time with herself. She sat down on one of the benches in the common area, watching the students around her run around, sit down and eat, draw, or do other hobbies.

What she didn’t expect, however, was for a noodle of a blonde to sit down next to her, ignore her gaze, and just stare straight ahead. She was in the middle of a bite of her sandwich when she slowly turned to see his side profile. “...Yes?” She asked after a beat.

“I would like to be your friend.” He said, channeling his 13-year-old self who had never even stepped foot in a school before. It took all Marinette had to not start laughing at his tone, stance, and attitude.

“Yeah. I know.” She said tightly, nodding, and looking back down at her sketches.

“You’re good at art.” He said finally, looking down at her sketchbook.

“Oh, uh, thanks. I guess.” She said, still stifling in her laughter a bit. She didn’t like how awkward he was being. He had been comfortable with her before. However, that was behind a screen. Maybe he just didn’t like public conversations?

“I am going to make you like me.” He said with the most confidence she had ever heard, and in return, she choked on her sandwich. His eyes blew wide, and he adjusted himself, patting her back. “Oh- I’m sorry!”

She waved her hand. “No! No! It’s fine. You’re good. You’re uh- You’re gonna.... what?”

“I know you don’t like me. So, I’m going to find a way to make you like me.” He said, his eyes were buzzing, and his hand paled from gripping the bench so hard. He was… Well-determined.

“Right. And just how are you going to do that?” She knew it wasn’t the kindest response, but she was genuinely curious about what he was leading onto.

“Come to my house. Today. After school. We can play Mecha Strike! We had fun doing that last time.” He said, more telling himself that than telling her. He was clearly nervous, and it even made Marinette sympathize a bit for him. She ignored the slight blush on his cheeks and his burning red ears, she didn’t want to embarrass him further. However, that would’ve been astronomically funny.

“Okay…” She slurred, still a bit confused by his sudden attitude. “Uhm, I, hadn’t given up on trying to be your friend… I just, found it difficult.”

Adrien’s eyes shattered, channeling his brain breaking into a billion pieces. His shoulders hunched, “But why?” He said a bit too loud, gaining the attention of surrounding people.

Marinette was undoubtedly uncomfortable. She was staring at him, mouth open, but nothing coming out. Finally, she mustered a; “I-I don’t-- I don’t know?” He sighed, very frustrated. She didn’t know what he wanted from her, but he looked like he was having a battle with his mind. He took a deep breath and looked at her. His eyes were softer than before. It relaxed Marinette.

“My house?” The blush hadn’t left his cheeks, honestly, it was stronger than before, betraying the calm look in his eyes.

“Right! Your house.” She squeaked. He nodded, then got up and walked away, she unlocked her bag, staring down at Tikki with mouth agape and eyes wide. “Tikki… What the hell just happened?” She asked monotonously.

“You’re finally warming up to Adrien!” Tikki responded gleefully.

“If that… was ‘warming up’, what in Fu’s name were we before?” Marinette ridiculed to herself.

“Silent.” Tikki laughed. Marinette let a small smile fall on her face at her kwami’s response. She scrunched her nose playfully, then returned her focus to her sketchbook. But she didn’t get anything done for the rest of their lunch period.

* * *

The rest of the school day was spent with Adrien every so often cautiously looking up or towards Marinette. Whether it was in anticipation or protection, he couldn’t tell. His cat senses were on guard that day, and they had been a little more prominent ever since his late-night visits to her home.

Adrien hated his current stance with Marinette. He felt so incompetent. He just wanted to be as relaxed around her as he was as Chat Noir! But, going up to someone who truly dislikes you, and butting your head against their hand isn’t exactly the most settling or natural thing, so he kept his wants in the back of his pocket for a later time.

He couldn’t help but be a blushy stuttery mess around the girl. First of all, she was utterly fucking terrifying. Sweet little old Marinette? No! She hit him in the eye with her hairbrush! He had to apply make-up that morning to cloak the bruise it had transmitted under his optic. And she had spite for Adrien, so who knows what she could pull. Second of all, he was slowly pining after her as an alter-ego leather-wearing catboy. Two things he did not want to pair together, yet here he was in this position.

Adrien Agreste had always been a hopeless romantic. He met Ladybug when he was 13 and fell for her immediately. That had subsided though when they became aware of their codependency on each other, also when Adrien realized it was weird for a 15-year-old to not date anybody because he was chasing after a superhero celebrity nobody knew he had close ties with. Nino still teased him about that. Besides, Ladybug was his best friend in the whole world. More than that, she was his partner. And he wasn’t going to give that up.

And then there was Kagami. But after time, Kagami had become like a sister to him. Like Chloe! But, he never liked Chloe to begin with. Marinette was different, though. His seventeen-year-old anime watching self did enjoy the secrecy of it all. But, for once, he just liked being with her. He had fun! And he learned things about himself, such as he needed pets to survive. Small things like that.

He wouldn’t call it a crush. He knew what he felt when he had a crush, and this wasn’t it. Marinette just made him calm down in a way only Ladybug could, and maybe it was the security blanket that the black-haired girl gave him or the way her smile would twitch ever so slightly when she came up with a new design, or maybe it was her wicked throwing arm that still took him off guard even after a month of being on the receiving end of a hard pillow throw, or in this case, a hairbrush.

There was something about her. Something that made him just want to be by her. He didn’t care anymore if she hated him, he couldn’t care less. He just wanted her in his life, without having any risk of putting her in danger, as Plagg had so kindly pointed out to him. And if that meant gaining the balls to ask her over to his house, then so be it.

* * *

Marinette huffed at the sight of the limo. Of course. He rode in a limo. She had ridden in it before, but… Not in front of everyone. She never understood how he ever so casually just showed up to school in a car that cost more than some student’s homes. She apprehensively took the steps down the front of the school, her head held high and her hands stubbornly gripping against her backpack.

Adrien stood next to her awkwardly, his hands defensively stuffed in his pockets. She had done this before! Multiple times! She took an obnoxiously loud breath, to get the note across that she didn’t feel like she had a choice but to do this, and stepped into the limo.

The car ride was silent at first. Marinette had her arms crossed and her gaze stared pointedly ahead. Adrien made the first attempt at the discussion, “Sorry for the theatrics.” He said. She hummed in response.

“Not a problem. Kinda… flashy.” She brought up. Her thoughts from earlier resurfaced her brain, “How do you even have the pride to be able to arrive at school in this thing every day?”

Adrien laughed a bit, clapping his hands in between his legs. “I don’t have a choice. It’s either this or nothing at all.”

“God, get a license, lazy ass. You’re seventeen.” She retorted. He rolled his eyes, a sight she rarely saw, but took immense pride in.

“Oh, thanks, genius, I’ll think about it.” He responded sarcastically. She narrowed her eyes. “First of all, do you have any allergies?”

The question caught Marinette off guard and reminded her of her first interactions with Kagami during friendship day a couple of years ago. “Uh… No?”

“Oh, cool. I’m uh…” He started, before being cut off.

“Allergic to feathers. I know.” She said matter-of-factly. She liked being right, so what?

“Oh right, you designed that hat thing!” He perked up, hands readjusting to the edge of the car seat. She snorted at his enthusiasm, finding his childlike appeal quite amusing.

“Yes, that hat thing.” She replied, her head shaking dumbly.

“You’re good! At… making hats.” Adrien spoke with his hands a bit.

“Yeah, I’ve been told,” Marinette said dryly. “Don’t really need you telling me.”

“Meh, I’m going to do it anyway.” Adrien shrugged. Marinette cocked an eyebrow at the response, and a small smile plastered her face. She was flattered, of course. Her favorite designer’s perfect model son just complimented her line of work. That wasn’t exactly something she took with a grain of salt. He probably knew just as much about fashion as she did. 

“What Mecha Strike game do you want to play?” Marinette asked, attempting to add to conversation without making herself flustered.

“The fourth is my favorite.” He provided. She laughed dryly.

“Of course it is.” She said towards him, lips upturned to a small smile.

“Wha-! What’s that supposed to mean?!” He riposted, his voice going higher than expected.

“The fourth is probably the lousiest version.” She responded, enunciating the word ‘lousiest’ for further effect.

“Oh, so I’m lousy? I’m quite interesting, to have you know.” He informed her. Their dynamic quickly shifted, matching the style of their back and forth banter over a microphone. Even their posture had relaxed more, and Marinette started flailing her hands around, expressing her deep emotions for the fourth release of their favorite game.

“I mean everything I say.” The girl held her head high.

“That also means I’m pretty.” He remembered, jutting out his pointer finger.

“You can think that if it makes you feel better about liking the trashiest game.” She spat.

The rest of the car ride there, and the walk inside the house, was Marinette and Adrien going back and forth about the game, arguing about why or why not it was superior. Marinette walked in first, politely accepting Adrien’s request as he held the door open for her. It didn’t surprise Marinette that he was a gentleman. By the looks of his house, she wouldn’t be surprised if he was fluent in etiquette.

He slipped off his shoes, and Marinette followed his actions, not once did they stop speaking as Adrien led Marinette up to his room. Opening the door once again for her, she rambled argument soon fell as she looked around his room. “And don’t even get me started on the-- Woah…”

Adrien rubbed the back of his neck, embarrassed at the contents of his room. It wasn’t every day you saw someone have a rock climbing wall in their room, for fun. “Jesus, Adrien, if I lived here I’d never leave.”

Adrien snorted at the irony of her comment. He was so trapped in this house, he wanted nothing to do _but_ leave. “Your room is pretty cozy, though.”

“When have you been in my room?” She asked curiously.

Shit.

He stuttered a bit, his hand extended and the other returned to rubbing the back of his neck. “Oh- Well- no! I haven’t been _in_ your room, I’ve… I’ve seen it! In pictures. On Instagram.” He wanted to high five himself for that save. He was very proud.

“Oh! Right. Anyway, what I was saying,” She continued her rant, flopping down on his couch. The movement looked so comfortable and effortless, if he was a third member of their party, he would think she had been here a million times. Her ankles were crossed, and swaying above his rug.

Adrien got out the game, and plopped it in, handing her a controller. The two hastily got into it. It was one thing to play against each other through a mic. It was another to play in person. Marinette would jump up whenever she won a round, and Adrien would pinch himself for finding it adorable. Adrien stuck out his tongue in concentration, and Marinette commented on how she had a friend who did the same thing. _Right, himself._

Adrien decided to lean into the subject a bit. He tried not to laugh, thinking if Ladybug knew his game right now, she would slap him so hard it wouldn’t even be funny anymore. “Oh? A friend?”

Marinette snorted, raising an eyebrow, “Yeah? Not recognize the term?”

“Well, I wanna know which friend!” Adrien pressed. He honestly just wanted to see what lie she would come up with to cover her tracks. He also wanted to know if she did tell people because if she did, he’d need to tell her to stop. 

But she didn’t. Instead, she scoffed, and said: “You don’t know him.”

Adrien rolled his eyes out of her gaze. He should’ve seen that one coming. The next few hours were spent with Marinette rolling out insults, and then clearing her throat and apologizing, and Adrien shaking his head and telling her it’s okay. Finally, she slammed her controller down and moved her body to face him. Her eyes were wild, and Adrien felt like he should apologize for anything he’s ever done wrong under her gaze. Her normally soft blue eyes were now accompanied by a scowl.

“W-Wha-” Adrien started but was immediately interrupted by Marinette.

“Why is it okay? I’m telling you I don’t like you, and actively insulting you. Sure, I apologize, because I’m trying to… not do that anymore. But seriously, I’m so confused about why you don’t stand up for yourself?” She looked genuinely curious, and a bit upset, by the end of her lament. It reminded him of what he would receive as a rant. Adrien laughed a bit, causing her scowl to tighten.

“Marinette, I know this is going to sound cocky… But I’m literally a celebrity.”

“Woah, humble, much?” She scoffed, before meeting his eyes and muttering a quick, “Sorry.”

“No, no. Mari, I get hate all the time. I am constantly spewed at with insults and criticism, and critiques. It’s not like you bully me… You just, don’t like me. And you speak your mind, whether it’s out of sarcasm or instinct, I genuinely have yet to find out. But seriously, I’m not as affected to your words as you might think. It’s never been your words that affected me.” He informed her, twiddling mindlessly with the controller in his hands. Marinette’s face only scrunched up more, enhancing her feeling of confusion.

“Wait, but… You invited me to your house? I thought… You wanted me to just, like, like you? Or something.” She sounded small, and Adrien didn’t like it. He liked her when she was happy and confident. It reminded him of his best friend, and it also made him feel more comfortable like he was talking to his new civilian friend on her balcony at two in the morning.

“Well… Liking the person comes with being friends with them?” He said sarcastically, snorting at the end of his sentence. Marinette deadpanned toward him, and kicked his ankle with her toe, causing him to wince. “Anyway, I know you’re willing, because, well, you’ve told me. But you’re… Weirdly awkward around me.”

“Wow… Thanks, you know how to make an impression.” She said with faux enthusiasm. He laughed and waved his hands in the air.

“No! You know what I mean. I want to be your friend, and I’m not exactly sure if you want to be mine, but… well, too late. You’re doing it, I don’t really care what your retort is.” He shrugged.

“Okay, Agreste, fine! Tell me then. Tell me something about yourself, absolutely anything.” She said, standing up and beginning to look around his room. The trophies lined the walls, and there were plaques nailed to his walls. She began reading the awards. Fencing, and piano, were the main ones, and the most recent. But as the years declined, more activities piled up. Swimming for one year, karate for another, rugby for at least three.

“Well… This isn’t really a secret, but, I do piano, and I fence.” He said. She hummed, knowingly.

“Right! You have a lot of trophies for them. You must be really good.” She thought of a new tactic in her mind. Instead of insulting him for whatever he was going to say, she would change the words around, or flip them, and compliments and praise would come out instead. The conversation wasn’t awkward, or stiff, anymore. And the more she talked to him, the more and more she wanted to know. The more obnoxiously bearable he was.

“I work very hard. Thanks.” He said gratefully. She smiled at him. “Now, what about you, Mademoiselle Dupain-Cheng? What secrets are you hiding?” She snorted and rolled her eyes. But not in an annoyed, or offended way, but in a joking way. He liked that face. The smile, and her eyes brightly examining the medals on his wall. He couldn’t help but be a little embarrassed. He didn’t want to show off, but, it was her choice to start reading them.

“Wouldn’t you like to know?” She started, a smirk settling on her face. “Uh, well, if we’re stating the obvious, I live in a bakery. Well, rather, above a bakery. Patisserie, to be exact.”

“Right! My dad loves that place. Constantly gets sweets from there. They’re really good. Do you work there?” The conversation flowed too naturally for just now friends, but Adrien felt too much happiness in it. He was able to open up to her and tell her things about himself. As Chat Noir, he can’t do that. He’s got an identity to protect, and she knew that and some points better than he did, often telling him off for telling her too much about himself.

They talked about movies, books, television, the Akuma attacks, and other things they probably had talked about during their first time playing but were far too tired to remember. Soon, the sun was laying low, and Nathalie came in to tell Marinette she had to leave. Marinette wouldn’t lie, she didn’t want to leave. She finally felt successful at not making a complete fool of herself by trashing this friendship everyone around her wanted her to have, and honestly, she was enjoying it.

Talking with Adrien was different than with other people. He was relaxed and versatile, and he didn’t want anything from her. He just genuinely wanted to know more about her. It made her happy to know that there were people who actively wanted to be her friend. It made her feel good about herself, and it also made her feel good about herself when she knew she had a new bond. Someone new. Friendships were always exciting to Marinette, and although this one was weird, and had so many ups and downs she couldn’t keep track. She finally felt like they were going straight ahead. The path was leveling out. There would be no more awkwardness, or insults, or jabs, or defensive stances. Just two people, hanging out together and trying to figure each other out.

* * *

_Me_  
 _17:56_  
okay so, he’s not all that bad  
he’s bearable

_Alya  
17:58_  
Wow, Sherlock! Who told you that one?  
Proud of you xoxo

_Me  
18:00_  
omg stfu  
i dont accept ur compliment

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter, idk, it's cute, it's Marinette finally opening her eyes and not being so closed-minded for once which is a sight to SEE in this fanfic
> 
> idk what else to say here. have a good day xoxo
> 
> xx, Emma


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir becomes closer to Marinette. Adrien notices some more cat tendencies he has, and Marinette decides to accompany Adrien to a photoshoot of his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The songs I add at the beginning of the chapters don't have much to do with the chapters? They might in the future, but really, I just love music. It's a big part of my life, and I love sharing my music taste with others. So, yeah.
> 
> There will most likely be one more chapter coming out before Monday, because like I said, my uploads next week will probably either be one... or none. I'm becoming a big girl, okay? Driver's ED. However, my birthday is the following weekend so I probably will post that day!!
> 
> Hope you're enjoying, again I appreciate all of you, and I'm so happy with the positive feedback I receive from this fanfic.

How did we end up talking in the first place?  
You said you liked my Cobain shirt  
Now we’re walking  
Back to your place!  
 _End Up Here - 5 Seconds of Summer_

* * *

Marinette fell onto Luka’s bed, with a tired overdramatic groan. Her head was at his feet, and she flicked the cuffs of his jeans. He lifted his book to look at the girl and laughed a bit, “Yes?” 

“Mom is making me work extra in the bakery. Do you think I can run away and stay here?” Marinette whined. Luka sat up, and slapped the back of her calf, causing her to sit up. They repositioned themselves to both by lying against the pillows and backboard of the bed.

Luka had become one of Marinette’s best friends when she was fifteen. Juleka and her had been friends forever since they were toddlers basically. It wasn’t until Marinette was older that she started hanging out with Luka. Most people from her school didn’t know how close they were since they were two years apart in age, but she and Juleka were pretty close.

Luka had gone to university this year. He still visited whenever he could, and this is one of the weeks where he could come back into town, so she was spending the majority of her time at their house. “Your parents are great, Mari.” He said, and she groaned and nodded.

“I know, it’s sickening, I have no excuse to get out of things I don’t want to do.” She whined. This was her superhero complaint shining through. She couldn’t say she needed to get out, or run away, or be somewhere else. Honestly, she didn’t want to be anywhere else. She loved her parents more than anything. They were pretty amazing to her.

“Oh, drama queen.” Luka scoffed, kicking her ankle with his foot.

“Woe is me, Luka!” She cried out, sinking further into his bed. Juleka walked in and joined the conversation, falling on her brother’s chair. Luka chucked a pillow at her, and she swatted it away, shielding her face.

“Ouch, you big baby.” She scolded. Luka laughed and sat up against his wall, draping his legs over Marinette’s torso, and swinging them off the edge of his bed.

The three watched some videos on Luka’s computer, and Marinette watched Luka play Minecraft for what felt like hours. Luka was always a child at heart, and Marinette made fun of him for his lack of interest in ‘cooler’ games. The moments relaxed Marinette. She had always seen the Couffaines as her second family. She had known them forever, after all.

Luka drove her home past sundown, and they badly sang horror rap and Jagged Stone songs. It reminded her of when she was fourteen again, and just getting to know the boy. It made her happy to be spending time with him again.

When they reached her house, she stalled in the car for a bit. He turned the music down and faced her. “Okay, Nette, what’s wrong?”

She always envied him for being able to read her that well. The two bonded over their weird senses of humor, and similar interest in music, but it quickly became a friendship more than that. He was like the brother she never had.

“Just missed you.” She responded with a sad smile.

“You would.” He snorted, and she glared at the boy, flipping him her middle finger before exiting the car with a wave.

* * *

Chat Noir fell into her bedroom a couple of nights later with a crash and a faint meow. Marinette didn’t even find herself looking up from her computer at the sudden noise. He was face-first on her bed, and his muffled voice spoke, “Hey, Marinette.”

“Hey, Chat.” She responded, laughing through her words. As his visits became more frequent, their rules and regulations became more standard. Only come during the night so nobody sees you. If Marinette’s lights are off, it’s a no go. If you’re injured or need immediate help don’t pay attention to that rule. And don’t be an annoying asshat. Standard.

Marinette looked over at him and handed him a now warm cup of hot chocolate. “Sorry if it’s cold. You came later than expected.”

“You weren’t here basically all last week.” He pouted. She smiled at his comment, side-eyeing him as he fell down to her chaise.

“Friend in town, kitty. He doesn’t come in much.” She said, turning around on her chair to face him. The pout didn’t leave his face. It had felt weird, only seeing Chat during patrols the week before. She had grown so accustomed to his nightly visits, even her dynamic around him as Ladybug had changed a bit. She was always warm around him as Ladybug, whereas Marinette was more playful and just, herself, around the superhero.

“Hmm… Have I seen a photo of him?” He raises an eyebrow. “At all?” She didn’t notice his posture tense a bit, but she did notice him furrow his eyebrows and shake his head at himself.

“Oh, uhm, well, probably. My bulletin board has a lot of them, but he’s kind of hidden in the group. There are a few of just the two of us, though. He’s my friend’s brother. His name is Luka. He’s like a brother to me.” She finished, eyeing her bulletin board with a small smile on her face.

“That’s… sweet. It’s nice to know you have someone, especially as an only child.” Chat grimaced, twiddling with his thumbs.

“Oh? Are you an only child?” Marinette knew she was probably overstepping her own set boundaries. She cringed at herself and felt a bit like a hypocrite. But it wasn’t as if she had been any better lately. Technically, Chat knew everything about her now! Except for the fact that she was Ladybug. Sometimes, she would think to herself and ask herself if she knew Chat Noir in real life. But, she didn’t really want to know. At least, she didn’t want to know before he started becoming Marinette’s friend.

A couple of months into their new friendship, civilian and superhero, and she suddenly thought about it more. She hated not being able to tell him. She felt guilty, but she knew that her relationship with Ladybug wasn’t too different from her’s as Marinette. Still played around, just without the superhero business. Honestly, she was grateful for it. She enjoyed just being able to joke around and rant to her partner.

“Oh! Yeah. Yeah, I am.” He said. He sounded sad, so Marinette didn’t push the topic and instead decided to change the subject.

“Don’t you ever get bored here, kitty?” She teased, falling back into her chair, arms crossed against her chest. He looked up at her startled.

“What! No, of course not.” He sounded genuine, and it made Marinette’s arms fall. Chat Noir was normally a very sarcastic, goofy, serious at times, but fun friend. His tinges of seriosity during an easy-going moment made Marinette blink in astonishment.

“Oh.” She squeaked out, her hands clasped in her lap. Chat cleared his throat, uncomfortable with how the conversation’s tone had changed so suddenly, so he expanded on the subject.

“I mean how could I, Princess? You’re the only one who gives me the attention I desire for.” He raises his eyebrows at her, and her pensive expression soon turned into a glare. She huffed, and rolled her eyes, turning around in her chair. That was more like it.

“Sure, Chat.” She snorted after her dramatic turn, now facing her computer.

“No, I’m serious!” He exclaimed, laughing, and running a hand through his hair. “You do!”

She just rolled her eyes and started typing away on her computer. He couldn’t help but notice the tabs pulled up of different animes. His ears pointed upward in interest. “You watch anime?”

She turned her neck to look at him, “Yeah! Well, kind of. I’ve been trying to get into it. There’s uh, this guy at my school, he told me he liked anime. So, I’m trying to get into it.”

Chat Noir almost felt his breathing stop. He crossed his fingers and prayed that the boy at her school was himself. “Oh-- wh- what boy?”

“Adrien... The only I’ve told you about. The one I… hated. I guess.” She laughed awkwardly.

“You’re going out of your way… To watch anime? For him?” Chat Noir said, a bit out of it, trying to confirm that’s what she was doing for his own sanity.

“Well- Well, not just for him! No! I’ve, I’ve been wanting to do it on my own too…” She crossed her arms defensively, avoiding his gaze. Stubborn. His mouth twitched to a smile before he piled into a fit of laughter. She glared at him and pursed her lips. “Shut up, you stupid cat! I’m trying to make friends, stop!”

“I thought you hated him!” He choked out in a fit of cat-like giggles that made Marinette happy to hear.

“I- He’s- Not so bad… I guess.” She muttered adamantly, and his laughs grew. It was mainly out of irony, but he was immensely happy. So happy in fact, he wanted to go up to her and squeeze the living daylights out of her. But instead, he settled for a wide, toothy grin.

“That’s very good of you, Marinette. You’re a good person.” He settled for. Her cheeks grew pink, and her shoulders heightened.

“Y-Yeah. Thanks.” Chat Noir’s praise lifted Marinette. She had gained praises from him all the time as Ladybug, but she shook those off as being his flirtatious manner channeling his fourteen-year-old self, or heat of the moment encouragements to keep her going in battle. But this was different. He didn’t need to praise Marinette, nor did he flirt with her, or need to keep her going. It was just him… Being sweet. She cleared her throat, before turning around. 

He left before midnight that night, and Marinette’s cheeks betrayed her the whole time. Climbing into bed, Tikki was cuddled up on the pillow next to her. “That was very sweet of Chat Noir!” Tikki exclaimed. Marinette smiled towards her kwami, taking her into her hands and pressing a kiss to her forehead.

“It really was, wasn’t it?” Marinette sighed. “You know, I’ve always thought of Chat as a nice person, but he really is just a sweetheart, isn’t it?”

“Right, Marinette.” Tikki giggled. “You’re super sweet for trying to get closer with Adrien, too! He was right about that!” She confirmed, and Marinette beamed at her kwami’s positivity. Being guardian, and being Ladybug in general, meant she had to keep her negative feelings at bay. This could be exceptionally hard with the stress and responsibilities, and she knows she could crack at any moment. She was always grateful for Tikki being there for her and keeping her uplifted.

“Yeah, Tikki, it’s no big deal, though, really! Chat Noir was kind of overreacting. I like making friends but I’m not the best at it, you know? Especially in this type of… situation, so, whatever. Not a big deal.” Marinette said matter-of-factly and shrugged.

Tikki hummed in response and nodded her head. “Goodnight, Marinette.”

“Goodnight, Tikki.”

* * *

The next week was spent with shy eye contact. Adrien found himself looking behind his shoulder in class, meeting her gaze during study hall, wanting to sit next to her during lunch, and resisting the want to tease her, and poke her, and pick her up from behind and sling her over his shoulder. Things he did as Chat, things he couldn’t do as Adrien.

His schedules were getting repetitive as the school year went on. This was something Adrien noticed during his second year of school. There were some overly riveting schedule changes like Akuma attacks, patrol, and now visiting Marinette at night. It was getting boring, however. He loved fencing and learning Chinese, and he never hated photoshoots, or modeling, per se. But, having the same schedule for 4 years can weigh on a kid. Throw an Akuma attack in there, and the responsibility of being a superhero, and it’s even more weighing.

Now, to add to that, teenage hormones were thrown in the mix. Along with being part-cat, this deemed really aggravating for him. He would feel his throat vibrate anytime Kim or Ivan approached her, even if it was just to ask for homework help. But for the most part, he suppressed his territorial anger and focused on something else. Such as the ballpoint pen he twiddled in his fingers like he would his baton. It was a mindless thing he picked up after becoming Chat Noir, and now it was something he did when he was anxious, or upset, like shaking your leg or biting your lip.

Nino thought it was really cool, though. Even Marinette smiled at the antic. He pretended he wasn’t eavesdropping when Marinette informed Alya that the gesture reminded her of a friend who does the same thing. But, he couldn’t help but blush at her recognition of his weird habits.

Being snapped out of his daze by his teacher’s voice silencing the rowdy classroom, he dropped the pencil at his feet. Some classmates giggled at the action, and heat rose to his cheeks in embarrassment. “S-Sorry.” He said sheepishly and rubbed the hairline on the back of his neck.

Walking out of the classroom with Nino by his side, and Alya and Marinette trailing behind them, the four had decided to go out for lunch again. “Where do you want to go, though? You’re like the most indecisive person ever, Marinette.” Alya teased at the girl, who laughed awkwardly in response.

“Sushi.” Adrien butted in. “I pitch in sushi. There’s a place right across the street!” So, maybe it was his urge to eat fish. He had noticed it sometime last week and immediately bribed Plagg with camembert to tell him what was going on. Plagg told him it was just a thing miraculous holders did. Adrien would have cat-like tendencies and cat-like cravings.

_“Just be glad you’re not Ladybug. Girl craves bugs. She probably already has, since she has a stronger connection to her miraculous, but you never know!” Adrien couldn’t sleep that night thinking about Ladybug trying to eat an aphid. It resulted in multiple pits of laughter, and definite teasing that night during patrol._

Agreeing to the option; Alya and Nino quickly walked in front of Marinette and Adrien. Adrien stuffed his hands in his pockets, and Marinette gripped onto her bag. The two had become less stiff with making conversation, casually texting and talking over the past week. It was nice for both of them. Marinette was being weirdly silent, however, and it made Adrien curious. “Got anything on your mind?” He asked tentatively.

She looked up at him and shook her head. “No! No. I haven’t had sushi in forever, though.” She said, changing the subject. Adrien would have brought up the hasty retreat, but he decided it was best to just drop it. He didn’t want to pry, and it wasn’t his place. If anything, he would be safer asking her as Chat Noir. He made a mental reminder to ask her that night.

“Really?! I love sushi. I love fish, in general. It’s my favorite!” This was a new opinion, but Adrien had always loved fish and got sushi quite regularly, even before his annoying cravings showed up.

“Huh. Interesting. My favorite food is my maman’s pain au chocolat.” Marinette informed, bouncing a bit on her toes as they made their way down the sidewalk towards the restaurant.

“I reckon you have a sweet tooth?” He laughed. She nodded heavily, her eyebrows lifting.

“Oh, you have no idea! Macarons, croissants, pastries. I grew up on that stuff. My maman and papa are always stuffing me with sweets. But I enjoy them! So no complaints here.” She giggled, lifting her shoulders. Adrien smiled at her comments. He thought about it, and it didn’t surprise him. Every night, she would always have some sort of sweet next to her computer, on a small pink or white plate.

“I do enjoy croissants! They’re definitely my favorite pastry.” Adrien smiled. He had a sweet tooth of his own, but nowhere near Marinette’s. He took a deep sigh, and before they knew it, they were at the restaurant.

“Mari, you never told me how Luka was!” Alya exclaimed about halfway through the lunch, a mouth full of sushi. Marinette chuckled at her friend.

“It was good! I missed him a lot.” Marinette said sadly, picking at her food. Alya frowned and placed a hand on the black-haired girl’s wrist.

“He’ll come back. He’s never gone for long. Plus, Halloween is coming up! You got that to look forward to!” Alya blurted happily. A smile landed on Nino’s face, and he started rambling about all the different couple’s costumes he and Alya could wear. Adrien and Marinette looked at each other with a knowing grin, before returning their gaze to the over-excited couple in front of them.

The lunch ended quickly, and Adrien complained about a photoshoot he had to get to. Marinette cleared her throat, and warily suggested she’d tag along. The smile that plastered his face made Marinette think the suggestion was worth it. He had talked scarcely about his photoshoots, but his main point was that they were very lonely and very boring. Much like a lot of his life, now that Marinette thought about it.

* * *

The photoshoot was really a sight to see. Marinette kept getting distracted by the clothes, and everything around her. The designs, the designers, the models wearing the designs, it was all so exhilarating. She tried to act cool about it, but Adrien could tell she was excited just by the grin on her face. “Oh, uhm, thanks for letting me come, Adrien.” She said as he began to walk into a dressing room to change.

“Of course! Anything for a friend, right?” Adrien responded cheerfully. Marinette couldn’t help the smile that fell onto her face. She swallowed a bit, before nodding. Right. Friend. It was still taking a lot of getting used to, trying to be so open, but it all seemed to be pulling together. She liked being friends with Adrien, it was, new.

With a heavy sigh, she sat and watched him do multiple poses, with multiple outfits. It lasted hours, and she almost felt bad for Adrien. She knew what he meant now, it is boring. He didn’t smile once either, only when he was told to for the camera, or when he was talking to Marinette, which was scarce because people kept barking orders at him.

The Gods of boredom must have heard her, because a few screams from outside of the tent, and the roar of what sounded like a dinosaur, and Marinette went flying out, transforming hastily inside a port-a-potty, much to her unenjoyment.

Chat Noir was with her in a matter of seconds, and she smiled at her partner, who sent her a hasty wink. She wasn’t wrong, it was an actual dinosaur. But, the Akuma wasn’t hard to find, the only human-like accessory on the dinosaur was a sledgehammer.

“Wow, a dinosaur _and_ a sledgehammer. Hawk Moth must be getting bored, or something.” Chat Noir joked. Ladybug couldn’t help but giggle at the comment. Due to the largeness of the Akuma, and how out in the open it was, it didn’t take long to defeat the villain. What did surprise her, however, was who was akumatized.

“Luka?” She gasped.

“What… what happened?” He grumbled, the sledgehammer falling into his palm as a guitar pic. Marinette stood dumbfoundedly above the boy, her mouth agape, and her partner stood next to her, smirking with amusement. 

She wanted to punch both of them in the gut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !!!! Luka what'd u do!  
> okay, ngl, lukanette has been on my mind all week. Luka and Alix are two of my favorite characters in the whole show so I'm probably going to try to incorporate them a lot. Luka is just!! I love him so much ugh idk.
> 
> My sleep schedule has been all out of whack, so this chapter was not posted when I wanted it to be. But, I'm enjoying where this is going! Marinette watching anime for Adrien, what a cutie :') she wants to be his frIENDDD awh she doEs have a heart, good to know.
> 
> Anyway, hope you all enjoyed it! Until, soon, idk.
> 
> Xoxo, Emma


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Marinette figures out why Luka was akumatized. Adrien has a run-in with his father that results in him impulsively visiting Marinette's balcony. The quad-squad talks about Halloween.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter didn't really intend to become what this chapter became but now it is what is.  
> Also Lukanette!siblingbestfriendship RIGHTS. Thanks :)

Over the next few days, we got to talking  
With every single word I started falling farther  
Farther and farther for you  
 _cliche - mxmtoon_

* * *

Marinette basically felt her insides twist inside her with laughter in front of her childhood best friend. The boy was rarely flustered, much less embarrassed, but now here he was, holding his eyes behind his hands, his face beet red. “Marinette… Stop.” Luka mumbled into his pale palms.

Marinette just wheezed louder, falling onto her knee. It wasn’t every day Hawk Moth summoned an Akuma anymore, but recently, they’ve at least been for valid reasons. Maybe their friend’s theory was right, maybe Hawk Moth was getting weaker as the season changed. After all, Autumn did start 2 weeks ago, and Marinette was already having trouble adjusting. But it wasn’t to the point where she couldn’t function, yet, so for the most part, she was fine.

She couldn’t help but find the predicament funny, although. “You- You- _Luka_ , oh my _God!_ ” She choked out, throwing herself onto his couch next to him, trying to regain her composure. It only took a moment of eye contact between the two before the hysterics began again. She hid her face in his shoulder and wiped her tears on his sleeve.

“Mari, this is ridiculous. You know how much that stuffed animal meant to me!” He said, gripping onto her shoulder to try and push her away. She obliged, sitting up, sniffling and snorting through fits of now tiny hiccups and giggles.

“Luka, it was _Juleka!_ I cannot believe that- that’s so funny!” She said, shaking her head, her eyes looked like she just got dunked in chlorine, and her chest was heaving up and down.

“You’re awful.” He finally said after a couple of moments she took to retrieve her dignity. She just nodded knowingly, before filing into more laughter.

The two, and Juleka, had decided to go out for dinner that night. Marinette regularly made jokes about Luka getting too heated, or upset, and of the stuffed animal. But every time she did, he’d pull on her ponytail, so it was a fair trade in her mind.

“What has been going down at the bakery?” Juleka asked. She used to be a regular visitor, but now rarely went unless Rose made her. It was just one of those things they did together and she ‘didn’t want to ruin a tradition.’

Marinette couldn’t help but let her mind wander. She had always wondered what it would be like in a relationship like that… But, her mind didn’t waste time on relationships. Sure, when she had a crush, her mind never let go of it, and it manifested her every move, but ever since becoming Ladybug, crushes haven’t been that prominent in her life. She didn’t have time to dwell on what could become when her mind was so set on one thing. She couldn’t even imagine how hectic her life would be if it led to a relationship, and the chilling thought of Chat Noir’s bright blue eyes just reminded her of it.

Her mind refocused. She was well aware that she had dazed off, but Luka and Juleka normally just laughed when she did this and made their own conversation, so she wasn’t too surprised when they were on a completely different subject when her mind was in and out of paying attention to them, and her partner. Her partner, who was now not just her partner, and was now not just Ladybug’s friend, but he was now Marinette’s friend.

It was weird to think about, and it scared her, too. Sure, ever since getting to know Chat Noir about freely, she wanted to know just as much about him. But that would require meeting the boy under the mask. It made her weak at the knees, as she had never desired to figure out Chat’s identity until recently. But for now, her friendship with him as Marinette was more than she could ask for. She was happy with it! She didn’t want it to change, and an identity reveal would probably be a big ‘change.’

Finally getting shoved lightly by Luka, he resurfaced the question about the bakery. “Oh, right, the bakery, Uhm. It’s fine. I told Luka this, but my maman has been putting me on extra shifts, and it’s absolutely draining.”

“Couldn’t you just ask to go back to how you used to be working?” Juleka retorted, a twinge of annoyance and disgust in her voice.

“I wish. No, I shouldn’t. They really need more help, and I’m seventeen. I need a damn job anyway.” She took a side-eyed bite of her breadstick, before throwing it down on her platter.

“Nette, you’re sixteen,” Luka stated matter-of-factly. Marinette flicked breadcrumbs at him in response. “And no shit, you need a job. But not one with your parents! You need one where you can like, meet people.”

Marinette’s mouth formed an o-shape in defense and started stuttering out a response. “I-I have friends! I have… Alya, and Nino, and you two fuckers!” She spat, and Juleka raised her hands defensively, to which Marinette giggled at.

“You have Adrien,” Juleka said through a bite of pizza. Marinette whined, and shrugged. Juleka groaned, worming her body around on the booth. “Marinette, come on, you’re all like buddy-buddy with him now, he’s your friend. Just call him your friend.”

“But what if I don’t _want_ to call him my friend?” Marinette lilted, “What if I just called him my, like, annoyingly attractive hate-at-first-sight buddy who isn’t always annoying as of right now?”

Juleka’s face made no change as she glared at the black-haired girl. “The keyword there was if. You do want to call him your friend. He’s your friend. Admit it, you like his company.”

“I’ll never say that out loud until the day I’m on my death bed.” Marinette declared, putting her hand on her heart in homage to her leather-wearing knight. It made her insides do something she really did not enjoy. 

Luka laughed at the interaction between the two, before interjecting his own comment. “That might be sooner than you think, you never know.”

“That a threat, smurf?” Marinette teased. Luka cryptically shrugged, and Marinette took the opportunity to dunk some of her garlic on his pizza, to which he whined dramatically in disgust. Marinette, however, was quite pleased with herself.

* * *

Adrien had never wanted to collapse into a sea of blankets, pillows, and nothingness more than he had at this exact moment. But here he was, standing in front of his father. In an empty, echoing lobby of a cathedral that held empty rooms, hollow closets, and an angst-driven incognito cat boy who was currently being lectured at by his dad, for essentially nothing.

“You’ve been slacking.” He stated. Adrien had to hold in a laugh at the ridiculousness this was. Adrien never slacked. He hadn’t missed a single lesson, photoshoot, or event in 4 years unless he was sick, and he hadn’t been slacking in any of his classes. He was almost eager to hear what bewildered excuses his Dad had for his inept attitude. He felt bitterness in his throat, but he held his shoulders high and kept his composure.

“What do you mean, father?” He asked with the upmost respect he could muster. Plagg laughed at him sometimes for being seventeen and being essentially controlled by your father. But, he knew that his companion hated Gabriel Agreste just as much as the next guy.

“In photoshoots, I can see it. You’ve been getting… distracted. Adrien, it is very rare that you have been getting distracted; is- uhm… Is there something going on?” Adrien might have choked on his own spit at his Dad’s subtle attempt at parenting. It was faint, but there were certain things his father did that made the cruel looks Plagg and Nino would give him almost defendable.

“Oh… No, sir.” Adrien responded curtly. The gesture was sweet, but any response could come off wrong to his father. He knew what was appropriate now and what wasn’t. He had adjusted through his teen years on what could help his case and what could further damage it. Damaging it never got resolved, seeing as his father would pretend it never happened unless it directly involved him, and helping his case didn’t actually help it. It just made it so nothing extra happened.

“Very well, then. I expect you to be top of your game at next week’s charity event. You cannot be slacking, and I am sure you understand that. If anything is happening, it must be… mended. We have a reputation to uphold.” Gabriel finished. Adrien swallowed the lump in his throat, and tightly nodded his head in response, making his way up to his room.

Plagg immediately flew out, muttering stupid curses that Adrien couldn’t quite make out surrounding Gabriel, cheese, and hunger. Adrien raised his eyebrows smugly as his companion darted for the cheese cabinets. Falling on his bed with a thump, he knew he had little time until dinner. He obliged into the time, knowing it would at least give him something else to fixate his mind on. Settling his appearance a bit, he made his way downstairs no more than 15 minutes later.

His father was nowhere to be seen, and when he turned his eyes to Natalie, she just shook her head once. He picked at the food on his plate, not having any appeal to actually eat it. He felt pathetic. He was a seventeen-year-old boy on a weekend eating dinner alone in an unworthy mansion. He started spinning his fork in his hand, not paying attention to what edible delights were below him.

“Kid. Your pensive staring is making my head hurt.” Plagg complained through an unnecessarily quiet hiss in his pocket. Adrien just smiled tightly and muttered an apology, mostly out of habit. It a situation where he hadn’t just been driven over the edge by his father, he would probably snap at Plagg, or make his own witty retort.

He never let his father’s reprimands get to him. At least, not until now. Normally, he shook it off with a correct attitude. But now, his skin burned. It itched all over and his stomach boiled. Of course, she came to mind first. Recently, he couldn’t get her out of it. She always came up in conversation, and if she wasn’t, he found a way to insert her in.

During class, he would make an effort to look at her, and during the night time more often than not he longed to be with her on the nights he wasn’t. But this wasn’t a longing. This was a need. His head burned with the thoughts of her voice, her laugh, her smile, her eyes, everything down to the color of her walls. She was plastered everywhere. She was everything. A dry, somewhat cold laugh escaped his lips. This was ridiculous.

He wanted to make fun of himself. Tell himself he’s living some fantasy. Leave Marinette alone! You might be putting her in more danger! You could be annoying her! You could be making her uncomfortable! Those thoughts somehow didn’t even matter anymore, although he would gain reassurance from her a million times a night that none of those things were the case. They always crept back in.

And now, before he knew it, he was upstairs. He hadn’t eaten a single bite of his food, and he dismissed Natalie by saying he had a stomach ache and wished to be left alone. Food wasn’t what he craved right now, and honestly, he didn’t know what he wanted. “Kid, you shouldn’t--”

“Plagg claws out.” Adrien puffed. The thoughts bombarded him. His dad’s cold presence. His useless words and how they didn’t fix him, or _cure_ him. His dad was a robot, feeding off of the stardom, which someone he managed to get his son more wrapped inside of than himself. It was astounding what power he held. The power he held over the city, and the power he held over Adrien. It made Adrien want to punch a wall, or yell, or scream. But he couldn’t.

Instead, he found himself in the next best place. Marinette’s balcony. It was only just past dusk, so her dark light didn’t mean she was asleep. It meant she wasn’t home. He cursed at himself, falling onto his knees as he landed on the concrete floor. His breaths were heavy, his suit giving him no armor over his brain as much as it was over his body.

He rolled on the floor, rubbing his head against the cool metal beams of her railing, before giving up, grabbing onto the railing, and keeping himself there. Leaned up against this unattainable girl’s railing, no idea what he was doing, or where he was going. His shoulders were shaking. He didn’t know when he heard the creak of her trapdoor, but before he knew it, two small fragile hands were wrapped around his torso, one making its way into his hair.

He let himself sink into the touch. The touch he so longed, and so desired. Such as a cat, and a human boy who hadn’t gotten touch so genuine and protective in years. Minus Ladybug, of course. But their relationship was different. They kept each other balanced, and they helped each other out. But Ladybug was professional. She knew when to help him, and he knew when to help her. But sometimes, even Ladybug seemed like a lost cause. Sometimes, everything did.

The hushed hums of her shush lulled him into her arms, gradually letting go of the railing. His once swarming brain had now melted into gelatin. She didn’t ask questions, she didn’t even second-guess him, or herself. She just saw him and comforted. It was something Adrien Agreste didn’t know he needed. It was something he wanted that he didn’t know he craved and ached for so bad.

And now he was getting it. From this girl, who hated him, but decided to make it work. From this girl who had willingly taken a stray cat into her home, and kept him company, and gave him a friend. She sat on her knees in front of him, wiping away his hair from his forehead, stuck with sweat now all over her palm, which she quickly wiped off on her jeans. She took his cheeks in her palms, and Chat Noir almost started laughing for the tenth time that night.

Laughing at himself, for being so stupid, and impulsive, and confused. He didn’t _not_ want to see Marinette, but he hadn’t let his guard down this much to anyone except for Ladybug. He barely remembered even finding himself on her balcony. But here he was, looking at her worry-ridden chasing eyes, roaming up and down his body for scars, bruises, cuts. But finding nothing but a sweaty, tear-stained, confused blonde. With a heart of steel, and a guard the size of a million soldiers.

Placing her forehead against his, his heart almost lurched out of his chest. It was bellowing for him. He didn’t want touch… He didn’t want pets… And God, he didn’t want attention. He wanted Marinette. Her kindness, her sympathy, her soft skin, and candy-ridden giggle that made him toes turn to jelly. And now he was sitting on her balcony, spreading his forehead sweat all over her clean, perfect skin. Her eyes were closed, and her hands never left his cheeks.

She was breathing from her mouth, occasionally licking her lips, or furrowing her eyebrows. She finally muttered, after what was just seconds, but felt like an eternity, “You’re okay.”

She sounded more like she was reassuring herself than Chat Noir. He nodded against her forehead, not wanting to move from her touch. Not touch, no, _her_ touch. But he wanted her to laugh again. He wanted to hear that candy-ridden giggle that dripped with happiness and was so contagious he was positive even his own father would laugh if he heard it. He wanted to make her smile, and laugh. And, now, curse his brain, he wanted to kiss her.

Their noses brushing every now and again from their head nods, he was centimeters away from her. He could feel her warm, strawberry breath on his face. But, Marinette didn’t want that. As much as he wanted to plant his lips on hers, and get a feel for what it would be like, he would rather slap himself silly than put this jewel of a human into a situation like that. A confusing, out of nowhere, situation.

So instead, he wrapped his leather-bore hands around her torso, pulling her in and squeezing her tight. He buried his head in the crook of her neck. She had to stand on her knees to be above him as she laid her cheek against his crown. 

“I will always be there for you, Chat Noir.” And just like that, he was putty again.

A couple of hours later, they laid with their backs on her bed, feet planted on the walls as they stared out at the sky through the trapdoor. Chat Noir hated himself for blushing at the close proximity of the two. He had been this close to her before, but now, he wanted to kiss her. It changed everything.

He could barely recollect the feeling he felt back at his home, and when he fell on her balcony. It was all one big blur now. He and Marinette sat, talking about whatever, occasionally laughing, how Chat was so happy to have her smile back in his vision. He wanted to throw up his heart every time she’d roll toward his side in laughter, or every time she’d use her hands out in front of her to enunciate something. He couldn’t help but have a love-hate relationship with this new feeling toward his secret friend.

He had always seen Marinette in a sort of light that he couldn’t understand. Plagg called it a crush, and for almost 2 months now, he had been saying no… It couldn’t have been a crush! Now, he was severely doubting his words, and it made him feel ill. As much as he wanted to leave her be, and collect his thoughts, and figure out what on Earth inspired him to pursue this stupid endeavor, he stayed. He stayed because he enjoyed her company. He stayed because the warmth of her room, and her body, and the sweet sparkling tone coming out of her mouth was much preferable to the cold, lifeless shell he lived as in his own home.

“Thank you, Marinette.” Chat Noir mumbled, turning his face towards hers. Her mouth turned to a genuine smile, and she nodded. They laid there for a bit, taking in the company, hitting each other’s knees with their own, and silent laughter filled the room. It was comfortable. It was natural. He wanted to do this all the time, until his gaze pondered over to the scratched out face of Adrien, now with a grocery store smiley face sticker sitting over it. He took a deep breath.

“I should probably be off, Princess.” He stated, eyes still fixated on the photo. She hummed and nodded.

“Are you in need of a cat nap?” She joked, her voice barely a whisper. He breathed through his nose, his grin twitching a bit. Sitting up in her bed, looking down at her, he hated himself for his thoughts. His unfair thoughts. Not just to her, but to himself. He shouldn’t be thinking about kissing her. For one, that’s not what she wanted. She called him her friend and nothing more. Secondly, he would hate himself if he put her in a position of being in a… relationship… with someone who she didn’t even know the name of. Third of all, he shouldn’t be putting himself in this situation either.

He knew nothing good would come of it. Ladybug always said they kept their identities and relationships secret for a reason. So nobody gets hurt… He used to dream of the day Hawk Moth was defeated so he could finally see who was under that mask. Of course, he still wanted that. Ladybug was his best friend, his partner, his other half. She meant more to him than the World. But now, he couldn’t tell if he wanted Marinette to know who he was.

This jerk, this stupid confusing jerk who she’s putting the work into to get to know and not… well, want to snap in half, was also this superhero who fell on her balcony spewing stupid cat puns and pick up lines he knew would lead to nowhere. Suddenly, the thought of revealing himself to her seemed less and less appealing. He knew she would hate him. He could engrave it in his brain. He just wanted to sink, be Chat Noir forever, and stay in this bed, holding this perfectly faithful girl in his arms.

But now he was standing above the trapdoor, two fingers plastered to his forehead in a salute. And then he set off. Away from the warmth, and the feelings, and a million senses bombarding him at once. And back to his home. Back to bright, and clean, and pristine.

Falling out of his transformation as he laid on his bed, he looked over at Plagg, who dove for the cheese, and heaved a sigh. “Thanks, Plagg.”

“Anytime, kid.”

He fell asleep that night almost instantaneously, so tired from crying, and talking, and his heart was so heavy in his chest, the weight alone was a workout. Drifting off into sleep, he cursed himself out as he thought about what might have happened if he did kiss her that night. If he did mess everything up. Where would he be right now?

* * *

School was nothing out of the ordinary. Other than his newfound attraction to his newfound friend. Recently, because of their growing friendship, and Plagg’s indubious suspicions of a crush, he found himself looking at her, scowling at other people who crossed her path, and all-around feeling like garbage for being so territorial over a girl he knew wasn’t ‘his.’

But now, speaking to her was harder. His gaze constantly drifted to her eyes, or her lips, or a place so obviously detrimental to his brain, it often turned into goo throughout the course of the days. However, Halloween was coming up, so at least most conversations had enough of a distraction so that he could keep his mind off of the girl at hand.

“Do you seriously think you can’t come, bro?” Nino asked sadly, his hand limp against his cheek. The four were in the library, huddled together at a desk.

“I don’t know, man, my dad doesn’t really… let me do those types of things.” He shrugged. Based on his dad’s outburst the previous week, he had even less hope.

“Come on, Adrien! Halloween is on a Friday this year, that barely ever happens! And Chloe is throwing this like… Huge thing, I don’t know.” Alya shrugged, and Marinette giggled at the brunette’s dismissiveness.

“Aren’t French people not even supposed to celebrate Halloween?” Adrien snorted, taking a sip of water from his water bottle. “I mean… I never have before.”

“I haven’t either, but you know Chloe, she’s being cultural,” Marinette mocked, her voice lilting. Adrien scoffed, his stomach twisting at her voice.

“I haven’t either, but I have some internet blog friends from America, and they tell me the best stories about dressing up, and going to parties and getting candy, and shit. It’s like a free for all over there.” Alya said, crossing her arms in jealousy. Nino placed a supporting hand on her shoulder.

“Come on, Adrien, at least ask your Dad.” Nino offered. “Like, the whole school is going. Chloe literally invited Marinette, that’s how you know.” Marinette slapped his arm teasingly, and Nino laughed.

“And if you need, I’m sure you can get ready at my place if it’s less like… restricting, since that’s what Alya and Nino are doing,” Marinette said nonchalantly. Adrien almost spat out his drink, his ears burning red. He choked a bit, and Marinette’s eyes grew wide. “W-What? Heh... Are- Are you okay?”

“Yeah, good, good. I’m fine.” He said, his voice hoarse. Now he knew he had to go. He didn’t know how or what he would say to his father to convince him, but he had to. He had the chance to go to Marinette’s without a leather suit on. It was like a once in a lifetime experience. Well, she had come over to his house before, and without the friends. But, still, that was before seeing Marinette breathe made his insides turn out.

The group returned to the discussion about costumes, times, and plans. He felt like his gut had just been punched in. Not only did he get invited over to Marinette’s, but _he_ got invited over to Marinette’s. Now, he didn’t exactly know the correct definition for ‘friend’ but he was almost positive if he looked it up in the dictionary; ‘A person who invites another person to their house.’ Would fall on it.

His overly cheerful grin and pink cheeks didn’t leave his face for the rest of the study hall.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> awhhh dont u just love that adrien has a crush on marinette but doesn't want her to know his identity while marinette doesn't have a crush on chat noir but does want to know his xoxo
> 
> this is like a one-sided reverse love square?? idfk; anyway, it's cute!  
> anyway, yes, I'm aware Halloween isn't celebrated in France that often so I kinda had to like?? make an excuse as to why they would celebrate it? anyway, Chloe thinking she's multi-cultural exclusive by throwing a Halloween party just kinda sounds like the right energy.
> 
> I was very sleep-deprived while writing and editing this fhkshfj so I apologize if it's trashy!!  
> See you guys soon! Happy fourth of July if you celebrate and happy random day of July if you don't!!
> 
> xoxo, Emma


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> tl;dr Marinette is also a teenager and she hates herself for it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fuck yeah, we're back in business baby  
> I'm officially a slightly older teenager who can legally get behind a steering wheel and I also have finally got around to reading and completing "Ladybug and the Bees" which was fuckin GOOD. I missed writing so much!! thanks for sticking around.
> 
> thank you for the kind comments, kudos, and feedback. it kept me going.

Oh, I fell in love  
Yes, I was a fool  
For Paris can be so beautifully cruel  
Paris is just a gay coquette who wants to love and then forget  
_Under Paris Skies - Andy Williams_

* * *

The days come closer to Halloween, and Adrien has yet to talk to his father. Honestly, he had better chances with just sneaking out, but that would get in the tabloids, or online somehow. And he didn’t want to have to deal with worrying about that, either.

“Adrien… Adrien… Adrien!” Marinette snapped, sitting next to him in the library.

He spiraled out of his thoughts, muttering a couple of apologies. Alya and Nino were supposed to meet them there soon for their science test coming up on Friday, AKA the same day as the Halloween party being thrown. “Do you want to just get started? I’m tired of waiting.”

Adrien looked around, scrunching up his nose. “Uhm… No, we should wait!” He replied. It was partly because he knew it would be the gentlemanly thing to do. And also, he would like to talk to Marinette instead. “So, do you have a costume picked out yet for the party?”

“Oh… Yeah! I-I’m actually making my own.” She regarded shyly. His eyebrows raised. He knew she was working on something, her room constantly covered in different fabrics, jewels, needles, beads. He took a liking to watch her sew, or stitch, or whatever the terms were for the activity he really didn’t understand. “I’m gonna try to make it like, moveable though. I mean, it is a party. None the less, it’s Chloe’s party.”

Adrien hummed knowingly, nodding his head a couple of times. “I haven’t been to too many of Chloe’s parties. My father barely lets me. But her galas, and balls, which she has about a million times a year, are way over the top.”

“Oh, yeah, I forgot you were friends with Chloe,” Marinette noted, chewing on the end of her pencil. “Well, I mean, because you never act like it around her, and her theatrics. You normally push her off of you, and stuff.”

“Oh, well, that’s Chloe. She’s been doing that since we were in diapers. I’ve gotten kind of used to it.” He snidely remarked, thinking of all the times she has flung her arms over him and given him attention. “She doesn’t actually like me. We’re just… close.”

“She could’ve fooled me. She’s always talking about you, and she’s always finding a way to be at your hip. But, okay.” Marinette shrugged, not truly buying what Adrien was trying to make come across.

“Oh! Well, that’s just because we’ve known each other for so long. Nothing romantic. Nothing. I swear.” He drilled in, getting a little flustered, and a bit embarrassed. The thought of Marinette thinking he was with another girl made him uncomfortable, and upset.

“Okay, okay! I get it.” She laughed awkwardly. His cheeks were burning, and he was spinning his pencil again. Biting her lip clumsily, she reached down for her backpack, before falling off the chair altogether.

Laughing, Adrien helped her up. “You alright?” He asked, still wildly concerned, but he couldn’t help but find her awkward stumbles hilarious. If he got a dime for every time she ended up hitting her head, or tripping over herself, he could probably have enough money to move out.

“Yeah, yeah, I’m fine, I’m just… clumsy.” She said, rubbing her head with her fist, sitting back down on the chair. Adrien’s hands were clasped around her bicep. He tentatively removed them, rubbing his hands on his knees afterward incompetently.

“All good.” He waved off stiffly, with a dry chuckle. She raised an eyebrow curiously at his actions, and his hands still tingled at the contact. He needed to snap out of this, and he knew it. But he could barely help himself, though. “So, that costume?”

The conversation started up again. His cheeks stopped flaming, and instead, the heat resonated on the back of his neck, which he quite often scratched awkwardly. He was much better with crushes as Chat Noir. Not that he was much better there, either, often finding himself staring at her from across the room, or lingering his touch. But she didn’t mind it from Chat Noir, he was a flirty guy. That’s just how he always was, despite his sweet-centered nature she knew he had.

But Adrien, well, he had no excuses for Adrien. Awkwardness? Teen hormones? Making a friendship? He could cover it up pretty well, other than the redness on his face. Conversation wise, they bounced off of each other fairly naturally. Jokes, responses, and more. The two hadn’t had a problem keeping a good discussion flowing, and it really made things easier for both of them.

Nino and Alya didn’t show up long after, and their conversation decayed. Adrien was upset, but the smile grew back on his face when he noticed Marinette’s frown grow on hers. She was also upset the conversation ended, and it boosted Adrien’s confidence a bit, a Chat-like grin formed on his lips. He imagined how he would tease her about it if he was Chat right now.

Despite their past, the two had begun to grow on each other. Marinette finally started admitting Adrien was kind-of, maybe, sorta, her friend; and Adrien was happy to be in that position. Their study session didn’t last long due to the couple’s last arrival, and Marinette’s weirdly hasty departure.

“It’s not often that Marinette leaves before you, Adrien.” Alya joked, the three kids eyed the girl who was now skipping out of the library. The blonde narrowed his eyebrows at the frantically escaping girl. Alya and Nino excused themselves soon after, leaving Adrien alone in the library.

Sitting there for a few seconds, he contemplated what to do. He told Nathalie he wouldn’t be done for another half hour, so now he was stuck alone in a silent library, with nothing but an empty phone and school work. He eyed his phone for a few beats, his stomach was turning. He tentatively brought out his hand, gripping it in his hand.

The bright light made him have to close his eyes, letting out a small cat-like whimper. Recently, he had becoming more and more sensitive to brighter lights. Some things that the cat miraculous but upon him just annoyed him more than anything. A photo of him and Nino shined back at him.

You  
16:03  
_Hey! You alright?_

His heart was beating fast, and he scratched his head, desperately trying to find something else for his hands to do other than hover over the keyboard on his phone. It didn’t take her long to respond, and his breath hitched at the soft ding that sounded.

Mari  
16:05  
_oh, haha  
yeah im fine. sorry to worry._

You  
16:05  
_You’re okay! Just making sure. You seemed frantic._

Mari  
16:07  
_just forgot i had something to work on_

* * *

Marinette didn’t know when she decided on the gesture.

She found herself sitting in front of her desk, sewing machine in front of her, and about a million different threads and fabrics lying around her and scattered on her floor. A mug of hot chocolate, some rock music, and the company of her companion, kept her content for the multiple hour endeavor she decided to throw herself in.

“Do you think he likes green, though? Like, yeah, it’s his color, and whatever--”

“Technically his color is black!” Tikki interjected, carefully and curiously flying over her chosen.

“Tomato, tom-ah-to. Anyway, I don’t wanna mess this up! I don’t even know why I’m doing this, to be frank.” Marinette sighed, mumbling to herself less than communicating with her kwami.

Tikki giggled at the bluenette’s indecisiveness as Marinette slammed her head down onto her desk a couple of times in a row. “Calm down, Marinette! I’m sure he’ll love your gift!”

Marinette rolled onto her cheek, muttering into her desk as she responded to Tikki. “I don’t know, Tikki, this could be totally… stupid.” She said, before falling forward again, practically eating the wood under her.

“It’s not stupid! You’re helping him feel better! It’s very generous of you to do for a friend, Marinette!” Tikki encouraged, praising her chosen sweetly. It made Marinette smile, eyeing her companion with soft eyes. She appreciated her kwami more than words could describe, never failing to cheer her up, or giving her whatever would help, whether it was words of wisdom, encouragement, or privacy of her own. One that Chat Noir admitted to her multiple times he was jealous of.

“Yeah, I guess so. Thanks, Tikki! I knew I could rely on you to help me. Now, a couple more hours of damn sewing to get to, and I should be done by patrol….” She trailed off, tongue sticking out as her focus reattended towards the black and green contents in the front of her.

The next few hours passed swiftly with the help of the distractions around her, and of course the distraction of her mind.

Her thoughts were all over the place, ranging from the Halloween party coming up soon, all the way to what her classmate’s kids would look like. She giggled at some of her thoughts, some more childish than others, and more than not vocalizing them to Tikki, who would agree with her with an accompanied giggle of her own.

The scene was picture perfect in the teenager’s eyes. Her in her room, with her most entrusted partner, doing her favorite hobby for her favorite person, watching and idiotically stupid tv show her and Tikki decided to start watching to pass the time a couple of weeks ago. The tv show quickly became a common pass time for the two, as did most binges the girls would encounter on together.

Before she knew it, patrol time was upon her. Sighing contently at her progress, she hid the fabrics and threads and cleaned up any loose pieces of trash.

The transformation was quick and familiar and quite candidly, it was warming. The rush of the bright light, along with the feeling of her clothes being changed, and her attention now being directed toward the task at hand was indescribable. After three and a half years of this, and Marinette Dupain-Cheng still couldn’t fully grasp the fact that her life included saving the citizens of parents with a leather-suited feline.

Speaking of said feline, Marinette wasn’t shocked to find him at their regular patrol meeting place before herself. Even as Ladybug, she had a tendency to not show up to things on time. He joked about it a lot, calling her ‘Lateybug.’ She didn’t find it funny, but his first discovery of the name as it rolled off his tongue back when they were no older than fourteen, was soon followed with heaps of laughter. She couldn’t help but feel her stomach twist at the sound of his laugh.

But fourteen-year-old Marinette would never admit that Chat Noir ever made her feel anything. Frankly, neither would sixteen-year-old Ladybug.

“Hey, bugaboo.” He said coolly. Ladybug relaxed at the smile on his face. A much better sight to see than the tears on his face just nights before. And as the memory flooded back to her, so did the guilt. Don’t get her wrong, she was thrilled he entrusted her enough to come to her. But a small pang at the back of her mind reminded her that he hadn’t mentioned anything wrong to herself as Ladybug.

Sitting down next to her partner, she dangled her feet over the roof, looking down at the streets of Paris. They taunted her with its calmness while her stomach was doing a 180 in its seat. She and Chat Noir trusted each other with everything, and whenever something was wrong, whether it was personal or not, they always told each other.

They came to this agreement at the age of fourteen. Seeing their miraculous grow stronger, they also realized their bond had grown stronger. Not just physically, and emotionally, but spiritually as well. They were two halves of a whole. They needed the other to function; and the two knew that. So they came to an agreement. Or well, a friendship amendment.

Multiple amendments, that is.

It started with a small list, number one being the most important.

_“Okay! Got it?” Ladybug said, quipping her head to her new friend. He nodded with a smile on his face, and a dazed look in his eyes._

_“Yep!” He perked up, his chin held high with an over-boosted ego. “Amendment number one, no matter what, we always have to tell each other what we’re feeling if it’s affecting us negatively.”_

_“Yep! And don’t get smart on me with that one, Chat Noir.” She teased. The cat threw up his hands in mock defeat. They laughed simultaneously before Ladybug continued, “Amendment number two; if one awesomely-cool superhero comes across a fault in the slightly less cool superhero’s attitude, they must confront that slightly-less cool superhero.”_

_“Hey! How come you’ll never have a fault to be confronted about?” The teenager complained, throwing his arms around his chest._

_“Because I’ll follow amendment number one, kitty!” She informed, flicking his bell. He narrowed his eyes towards her, and she laughed in response, jokingly dancing around the roof the two had been sitting on that afternoon._

The memory was leaking with irony. When baby-Chat Noir had defended himself, going on a tyrant about how he would never break their first rule when he was technically doing that right at this very moment. She wondered if she should bring it up. Would it be too obvious? Would it give anything away? She didn’t know the answer.

Clearing her throat, she realized she never responded to her partner’s greeting. He was eyeing her with a concerned look that Ladybug cherished whole-heartedly. She laughed to put his mind at ease, and gave a soft “Hey.”

“Where’s your mind wandering to, Bug?” He asked nonchalantly, laying his hands back behind him. She took a breath through her nose and twiddled with her thumbs in between her slightly spread legs.

“You’re breaking amendment one.” She said, eyeing him knowingly. He stiffened a bit, but nothing to be concerned about. Just taken aback from the statement.

“Oh. How could you tell?” He asked sheepishly, rubbing his neck with his palm. An action he did so frequently it was practically engraved in Marinette’s mind. Sometimes, she even got annoyed on how often he did it and would go all Mom-mode on him, removing his hand from his neck herself. She didn’t this time though, and let his mind ponder.

“I can kind of read my partner pretty well. What’s going on?” She said matter-of-factly. Admitting defeat, his hand dropped, and his posture relaxed. Like a weight had been taken off his shoulders. One neither of them realized he had sitting there.

“I’m better now. Just… home problems.” He muttered, starting to explain the situation to his partner, detail by detail. Nothing different from what he had told Marinette. Ladybug sighed, hoping maybe her closeness to Chat could pry more out of him, but she found herself getting the same responses that Marinette had. Down to every little fraction, minus the crying, which she was happy about.

It boosted her ego a bit, realizing he had entrusted her civilian self just as much as her superhero self, whom he was much closer with. It made her smile as she realized the importance of the friendship he had with Marinette in his life. He had told Ladybug multiple times she was the one person he could be this honest around, and now knowing she had both of her lives piled into that file; the confidence grew and her stomach lifted.

“Sorry, kitty.” She grumbled. “You’re better now, you say?”

“Yeah! A close friend helped me through it. I just hope I didn’t annoy her with my burdens; is all.” He confessed. Marinette wanted nothing more than to throw her arms around his neck, and promise him he had done no such thing, saying he could always go to her no matter what. But instead, the two sat shoulder to shoulder, silence draping over them as Marinette’s thoughts played through the situation.

“I doubt you did. If she helped you through it, then she cared.” Marinette informed, taking every ounce of her being to keep her voice steady as it fluctuated through the conversation. God, it was like she was playing Doodle Jump with her vocal cords. She wanted to wrap them around her fist and pull them out aggressively.

“You’re right. I know she cares about me.” He acknowledged. Marinette’s heart soared at the sentence. She couldn’t explain the feeling in her chest, but the word ‘trust’ just flashed in her mind. She was almost too grateful for the friendship she had with the boy. She knew Chat Noir was a good person, both in and out of the suit, even if his annoying cockiness and poorly timed jokes covered it all up.

But not only did Ladybug know he truly was a complex character, but Marinette now knew it too. Maybe more than Ladybug ever did. She didn’t know how long the silence stilled over the two before she finally tamed her vocal cords into working, and pacified her mind to stop thinking.

“I do too. But I’m always still here for you.” She looked up at him, her head bobbing, telling herself the statement just as much as she was telling the boy in front of her.

He slung an arm over her shoulder and pulled her into his side. Placing a familial kiss to the top of her head, he nodded. “Yeah, I know. But just because this cat’s claws aren’t as sharp, doesn’t mean he can’t still kick your ass at a good old fashioned race.”

Launching herself away from the blonde’s armpit, her mouth was ajar. “Uhm, _still_? My bad, I didn’t realize you had been doing so anyway.” She closed her eyes with pride.

Launching to his feet, and throwing his baton behind his neck, he leaned toward her. “Well, think again. I have been the whole time, you were just too slow to realize it.” He winked teasingly. She resisted the want to slap the wink off of his eye. Instead, she glared, throwing herself up, and standing on a nearby small platform so she was just above his head.

Grabbing her yo-yo, she spun it in her hands, preparing for takeoff. “That is a bet I am oh-so ready to take.”

* * *

Laughing at the memories, Marinette fell onto her bed, transforming effortlessly as she recounted the banter between the two before, during, and after the race, she could proudly call herself the winner of now.

“You look like you had a good time, Marinette!” Tikki exclaimed after taking a bite of a macaron Marinette had handed her lovingly.

“I did, Tikki! I’m in a better mood than I have been as of recent!” She laughed happily. Tikki’s eyes look like glitter had fallen into them with the smile that supplemented it.

“Maybe this means the nightmares will stop!” Tikki offered. Marinette hummed unconvincingly.

“Normally they aren’t affected by mood, they just... come and go. But they’ve been getting less and less vivid after I started the rituals again!” Marinette informed. To her dismay, the rituals given to her by Master Fu back when she was fifteen were anything but ordinary. ‘Special Chinese Cure.’ Was the words the old man had described them as.

Nights of stuffing rose petals under your pillow, and even down to how many times you touch your face in the morning between the hours of eight and nine. Truly weird, but wickedly cool. She blamed miraculous nonsense on the meaning behind the curious habits. Miraculous curses come with miraculous cures! Or something like that.

Looking over to her corkboard after she changed into her pajamas, she waited patiently for her partner to arrive over her trapdoor. In the meantime, her eyes wandered over the photos tacked to the cork. Tickets to a Jagged Stone concert, a stupid photo of her and Luka from when they were younger, and the photo of her main friend group, a stupid blonde mop sticking out from the  
smiley face sticker under it.

She didn’t know if telling him about that would crush his heart, or make him laugh. She decided on not wanting to find out as her final answer. Rubbing her thumb over sticker, she sighed in discontent.

“Maybe I should try to get a photo with Adrien now? Because we are… friends.” The word clogged in her throat. But it didn’t feel wrong coming out of her mouth. She hummed in curiosity at that. Normally, admitting any kind of interest to the previously mentioned mop would make her feel weird, and unloyal, even, as if she was betraying her past self.

Tikki beamed at the comment as she settled in her chosen’s neck. “That’s a great idea, Marinette!” She encouraged, kissing the teenager’s cheek in praise. Marinette pet her kwami and returned the kiss to her forehead.

“Maybe I should get working on that, then…” Marinette mumbled to herself. “Wait. He’s a model! I can just like, get a photo online? Right? I mean, sure, it would be weird, but it’s better than nothing right now. I don’t know. I feel guilty, Tikki! I’m going around calling him my friend now, but I haven’t done much to make it evident.”

Pulling her phone out, she clicked on her Pinterest app. An app that, as an avid designer, and fangirl, she basically lived on. Typing in ‘Adrien’, his name was one of the search results. She rolled her eyes at the revelation. The first few were typical candid model photos.

Some from billboards that she had seen around town, others from magazines she had and hadn’t seen, and others from photoshoots for other brands or organizations. She had never fully grasped the popularity that her… friend… had. After finishing his final years of puberty, which had hit him like a truck, he became a popular French face.

He was perfectly suited for it, too. First of all, he was hot. Second of all, he was fit. Third of all, he was seventeen years old. Photographers went crazy over stuff like that. After the flood of magazine photos and ads had passed, the less candid ones started flowing in.

Short clips of him talking at interviews, paparazzi photos of him staring down at his phone, or walking in the street. One had Nino in it, to Marinette’s amusement. Other photos were selfies or screencaps that had been posted by him or his fans.

Marinette couldn’t take back the heat on her cheeks even if she tried. Tikki laughed as her companion buried her face in her palms. “Ugh. It’s not my fault he’s hot.” Marinette murmured. Thankfully, her thoughts were interrupted as her comrade tapped twice on her ceiling. Looking up, she was met with a cheeky smirk, perfectly messy hair, and narrowed green cat eyes.

Shit.

One hot face to another, and Marinette wanted to suffocate. The heat on her cheeks grew, and she thanked the dark for existing. She let him in after a couple of seconds of lingering at his face that she could have sworn she felt nothing toward less than an hour ago. It was a heat of the moment thing, and she was going to keep telling herself that until her dignity decided to come back.

She always knew Chat Noir was attractive. But right now, she couldn’t think of him as any less of a model than Adrien. Honestly, he was more of a model than her classmate. He carried himself well, and she always hated her partner for being attractive without trying. It was more of friendly envy though, it was never a feeling she pondered on, and it was definitely not a feeling she _blushed_ over.

The Gods must have heard her prayers because Marinette’s thoughts were soon interrupted a second time by the superheroine’s voice. “Cat got your tongue?”

Taking a huff, she forced a small laugh out. “Sure, Chat.” She complied, which made the cat’s eyebrows raise. His interest had heightened, and that was never a good thing. Leaning toward her a bit, Marinette wanted to cry at the closeness. This was not good for her teenage brain. Her breath hitched unexpectedly, which made her desire to slap herself silly.

_Okay, girl, snap out of it. It’s_ Chat Noir, _your standards have fallen if this is what’s making your interest peak out of absolutely nowhere._

Shaking her head slightly, she snapped herself back into the moment. Raising an eyebrow at her maliciously curious friend, he snickered in response. The laugh was nothing unfamiliar to Marinette, but it made her feel something else. Something, sweet. Something that was filled with heat and made her want to throw up and cheer for joy and dance around her room all at once.

If this is what ecstasy felt like, then she suddenly understood why people were addicted. The feeling was unfamiliar to her, and she wanted to know more. But her feeling was short-lived, as the leather-clad blonde lengthened the distance between them. Marinette couldn’t tell if she was relieved or if she wanted to pull him back into her proximity and just stare at him for hours, trying to figure out what he had done with her Chat Noir and tell the imposter-Chat Noir to give him back.

A forced laugh escaped her lips, probably too loud and unconvincing for her liking. She wasn’t the best liar. “Good evening, Princess.” He whispered, his front now illuminated by the moon beaming through her overhead window. Marinette hated everything; especially how good he looked under the moonlight, each feature being held with a spotlight, and each feature looking better than the one before.

She was dead! Marinette Dupain-Cheng was officially a corpse, and she knew it. Because she would be caught dead before thinking that _Chat Noir_ , the boy who once ate dirt because an Akuma doubted him, was attractive. _Nope, nope, nope, nope. This isn’t happening! It’s a stupid teenage hormone dream that I shouldn’t think about or put any thought into. That’s it!_

She had been silent too long. Welp. She was screwed. Her vocal cords betrayed her for the second time that night, and the words that were trying to be produced from her mouth were replaced with a squeak that could have belonged to a mouse out of context. Chat shifted uneasily in front of her.

“Y-You okay?” He asked, hand returning to his neck. _Stop it! Get your hand back to your front, you stupid cat!_

She nodded hastily. “Yep! All you good and? I-I mean, all good, and you?” She shook, speaking loudly in her own head. Her brain just had a traffic light plastered in it, and the red one flashed, teasing her and her stupid scrambled words, and stupid stupid habits.

He laughed bubbly at her stuttering, and word salad. It didn’t help the heat on Marinette’s cheeks. She just wanted to sink into a black hole of nothingness at this point. But her stomach was calmed a bit at his voice in response. “I’m quite alright.” He responded steadily.

_Fuck you._ Is what she wanted to say. What she did instead, she would hate herself for doing for forever.

The thumbs up stuck out in front of her body, her eyes shut, her head low, and her body curled together into a ball.

Yep. Definitely deceased.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> psa: i've never done ecstasy
> 
> just want to get that clear.  
> also, isn't the song for this chapter just so fitting?
> 
> xo, now 15-years-old emma


	12. Chapter 12

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tikki just wants Marinette to be happy! ...Right? That's definitely all she wants.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> sorry for the delayed update (kind of? is 4 days delayed? idfk)

I gave her to you  
I thought you might appreciate  
The way that she dances  
The painted look upon her face  
She must have come from the sun  
I want to take her through the park  
Where she'd tell me I'm all that she wants  
If she could even talk  
 _All Alone - fun._

* * *

If Chat Noir had noticed Marinette’s strange behavior, he didn’t comment on it. He laughed peppily and reciprocated her thumbs up. Which did calm Marinette’s mind, that she now impulsively decided she would never use again.

She wanted to end the visit. Cut it short, and put herself in time out. Think about what she’s done. But right now, she thought a conversation could be the only thing to get her mind out of the basement it was currently being held in. So she took a deep breath and pulled up her big girl pants.

Settling into a more comfortable, natural conversation, Marinette’s heartrate finally calmed. The heat of the moment, all it was, was the heat of the moment. The fact that the dark of the night enveloped their faces, causing Marinette’s vision to be off, was immensely helpful. She couldn’t see his weirdly perfect face structure, or his cocky smirk, or evilly green eyes. She was safe, it was if she was talking to a wall.

While keeping a discussion with the superheroine, her mind was far elsewhere. Firstly, _what in the everliving fuck was that?_

She had never had that reaction to Chat Noir before. Sure, he was handsome and sarcastic, and he cared about her and trusted her. He trusted her. Both sides of her. And he cared about both sides of her. It was warming to know and made her stomach twist into a million knots. It was always nice knowing her partner could trust her as Ladybug. But this stranger… This boy who she didn’t even know the name of, trusted her. It was something she didn’t get often as Marinette, and it made her heart swell.

Her parents didn’t trust her with catering, her best friend didn’t trust her with her belongings, and sure, she had stolen things before, but it was all in good nature! It was new. It was… sweet. It was, well, it was intoxicating. And the fact that said trust encaptured boy was a downright supermodel was a gift and a curse.

She had seen a side of Chat Noir as Marinette that she didn’t see much as Ladybug. Sure, he opened up sometimes, and he was goofy still, and silly. But Ladybug didn’t know Chat Noir’s dreams or favorite pastry, or least favorite anime trope. Marinette and Chat Noir were personal. Knowing the small things at first was a way of Marinette to have a closer bond with her partner. And she never liked being away from him, so free time with her most entrusted comrade? Score!

What she didn’t know would come with that was slowly but surely noticing her happiness whenever he was around or brought up in conversation, or his stupidly handsome face. But whatever, he was just her friend! Her best friend, of all things! She wasn’t a little girl, she could handle a small amount of attraction.

His joking attitude kind of wiped away the thoughts in her mind, channeling her true best friend. The silly, joking, fun one. It made her comfortable. “So, what were you looking at before I came in? You seemed kind of… flustered.”

Stupid cat. Stupid, stupid cat. Ruining her mindset like that... “Oh, you want to know what’s on my phone now? You snooper.” She said, poking the boy’s nose. His eyes crossed to look at her finger, and she giggled at his facial expression. A small grin laid on his face at the contact.

“Well, no, but, seriously! Curiosity killed the cat?” He questioned sheepishly, shrugging his shoulders.

“More like curiosity killed the kitten,” Marinette joked, a laugh escaping her mouth. She let out a breath, contemplating. She knew Chat Noir like the back of her hand, and when it came to things like this, he would just push and push until he got an answer. So now, she was stuck. Did she tell him she was stalking her classmate’s tag on Pinterest, or make up some crazy lie? She didn’t like to lie, to Chat Noir of all people, of course.

“Whatever you say, Princess.” Chat Noir teased, giving a quick wink in her direction. A gesture she had received a million times over as both Ladybug and Marinette. The heat grew to her cheeks, and she wanted to vomit with embarrassment. _Why am I blushing? Ugh! I’m going to kill this boy._ “But I’m still curious… You’re not gonna trust me, little lady?”

Her eyebrows lifted as if what he said was absurd. “What? Of course, I trust you!” She exclaimed without a beat, not taking the joking nature into context. He was her partner, and her best friend, why in the world would she not trust him?

He laughed a bit, reaching his hands out to calm her now tense shoulders. Her bare tense shoulders, that a leather hand was now resting on. _Stop it, Marinette, he’s touched you a thousand times._

“Hey, Marinette, I was just joking. I trust you too.” He said, his voice low. Another side of Chat Noir that Ladybug didn’t get to see quite as often. A sentimental side. One that showed that he wasn’t just a cocky, sarcastic, and flirty guy. Sure, Chat Noir was sweet and idiotically gentle all the time with Ladybug. But it hit something different to Marinette. As Ladybug, they were partners. Of course, they were going to care about each other… But he had no reason to trust her as Marinette. Which brought her next question to surface.

“Why?” She asked, not meeting his gaze.

“Wh-What?” He stammered, an anxious cough leaving his mouth.

“No-No! I’m glad you do trust me, and I trust you, but… Why? I mean, I _am_ just a random civilian. You have no reason to come to my balcony, or visit me… So… Why?” Marinette whispered, her voice low and their faces dangerously close to each other.

“Well…” He started, and she was a bit guilty to admit that she was excited to hear what he would say about her, “For one thing, you’re not random. You’re a great person, Marinette! You’re sweet and talented, and, well, I don’t know. I guess you were… Interesting. Cats like interesting things.”

“And what if Ladybug found out?” She asked, her eyebrows raised, and a small smirk on her face. He scoffed in response.

“You might never see me again.” She wanted to bet him on it, but she kept her mouth shut and replaced a response with a hum. “Plus, you feed me.” He shrugged. Marinette picked up a stuffed animal, and hit her partner’s face with it harshly, causing him to yelp and laugh, as he fell backward on her bed. “Okay, you got your question, now I get mine! What were you looking at on your phone?”

Marinette groaned, falling onto her elbows in front of him. Looking at her corkboard, she pursed her lips. Her pointer finger landed on the smiley face sticker clad on a photo. He laughed nervously, and a hand returned to his neck. “You were looking at smiley faces?”

She shot a deadpan look to the blonde, rolling her eyes. “Yeah, sure. No! Stupid. I- Uh- I felt bad…”

“For the smiley faces?” He quirked, cocking an eyebrow and letting a smirk fall on his face. At this moment, she was probably certain all the spontaneous attraction she had towards the boy had wiped away in sheer annoyance.

“For _Adrien_. I... Well… He’s my friend now. And I haven’t done much to show it. I was gonna get a photo with him soon, but, I mean, he is a model. So I just went to Pinterest instead.” She shrugged, rubbing her arm up and down with her hand in a defensive position. She hated Chat for laughing.

His laughs were curdling, and he fell to his side, a grin wider than the sun plastered on his face. It had been a while since she had seen him look that happy. It was goofy happiness and sheer joy. She loved the look on him. She grinned at his joyous attitude.

“Sounds look a good plan, Princess.” He said, wiping a tear out from under his eye.

“And why are you so amused?” She asked, slapping his knee. He took a deep breath, shooting her one more smile.

“Oh, just happy for you.” He whispered, genuineness seeping from his tongue that made Marinette’s toes curl and a smile spread onto her face. He stood up on her bed, making his way for the trapdoor. Looking down at her, he shot one more wink, before bidding a farewell, to which she reciprocated.

Once he was out of her room, she face-planted into her pillow, letting out a groan. “Tikki, what the hell just happened?”

“I think the other side of Chat Noir might just be affecting you, Marinette.” Tikki giggled, enjoying this way too much. Marinette turned her head to face her kwami, who was now cuddled into her pillow beside her.

“Ugh, that’s impossible! It wouldn’t matter anyway… I’ve got too many things going on, a secret superhero boyfriend who also happens to be my partner would just be another thing that I don’t need.” Marinette said to her kwami.

“You should never let your responsibilities shield you from your happiness. If Chat Noir makes you happy, then what’s the problem?” Tikki inquired. Marinette took a couple of seconds to think about it.

“Well, not only would I have to lie to him every day as Ladybug, but he could also figure out that I’m Ladybug! Not worth the risk, Tikki, being his friend is already too much… And besides, I love being his friend. Just his friend! Being anything more than that… Even a silly crush, is just, it could ruin a lot of things. It’s just heat of the moment infatuation, I’m sure the next time I see him, I’ll think nothing of it.” Marinette finished, kissing her kwami on the forehead, and tucking herself under her bed.

Her dreams that night were not Chat Noir-less. And she woke up the next morning groaning in annoyance at her mind.

* * *

“This is it, Agreste. Fucking get it.” Nino hyped up into his best friend’s ear as they stood in front of his stairs. Adrien was bouncing on his toes, like a wrestler about to enter the ring, as Nino rubbed his shoulders. They made their way up the stairs and into his home. Thankfully, Adrien had convinced Nathalie to let Nino come over to work on a ‘school project’ after classes had ended that day.

As they took off their shoes and stood at the floor in the lobby. Adrien could almost feel the cold sweat on his forehead as he anxiously twiddled with his ring. He could feel Plagg in his shirt, patting his chosen’s stomach in the beat of some hype song. His two hype men; Nino and Plagg. They never fail.

“Come on Adrien, it’s now or never,” Nino whispered sharply. Adrien nodded to his friend.

“Nathalie, could you get my father? Or deliver him a message?” Adrien asked, his voice as steady as possible. Nino cringed at the professionality of the question. Nathalie nodded once.

“What would you like to tell your father, Adrien?” Nathalie asked, a small smile on her face as she eyed the friendship between the blonde and Nino, who was rocking back and forth on his toes with excitement.

“I was wondering if I could go to a Halloween party this Friday. It’s one of Chloe’s… Things.” Adrien gulped at his choice of wording. “Anyway… I was also wondering if beforehand I could get ready at my friend’s house… Marinette.”

“Marinette. Isn’t she that girl that had come here before?” Nathalie asked. Adrien cleared his throat, before nodding. “Alright then, Adrien. I will ask your father.”

Adrien felt his shoulders slump, all he had to do now was wait for a response. Hopefully, he would get one. Nino slapped his back once Nathalie was out of the room. “Good job, bro. Let’s go upstairs. I’m down for one or two rounds of foosball.”

Adrien snapped and shot a finger gun at his friend, and they walked upstairs hastily, jumping on their toes to not make any noise as they ran up the stairs. They raced each other to Adrien’s foosball table once inside his room.

A couple of games in and the boys got into general conversation. “So, Marinette came to your house?” Nino lilted, and lifted his eyebrows.

“Yeah, a couple of weeks ago, actually. It was when I wanted her to like… Be my friend and shit.” Adrien responded, a bit embarrassed to admit his efforts towards her.

“Well, you pulled it off. I’ve never seen someone do such a one-eighty. I mean, sure, it’s not like you two are best friends, but you’re closer than I’ve ever seen.” Nino laughed, pulling backward on a handle as his pole went flying, pushing the plastic ball to one end of the table, to be hastily blocked by Adrien. Nino let out a groan at the blonde’s reflexes.

“Yeah. It’s nice…” A dopey grin fell on his face as his trance fell to not only his time with Marinette as Adrien but also as Chat Noir. He remembered their conversation from just the night before. She had been looking at _pictures_ of him! Willingly! To put _on her wall!_ The thought made him want to scream.

“You good, bro? You look like cupid just shot you.” Nino teased and laughed in reaction to his friend’s now far off gaze. His fingers loosened on the handle grips, and the two stopped playing for a few moments.

“Wh- What? No! No, that’s ridiculous.” Adrien rebutted unconvincingly. “Me? Cupid? Marinette? Dude. You’re crazy! Crazy.” Adrien rambled on, his face growing so red it matched the color of Nathaneal’s hair.

Nino rolled his eyes. “Dude, you’re insufferable.”

“I am not! I don’t like Marinette. That’s final.” He scoffed, swiping his hand in front of him.

“Sure, dude, you keep telling yourself that.”

Adrien squirmed a bit on his toes, fiddling with the handles that he didn’t realize he was now squeezing onto abnormally tight. Finally, he let his grip loosen, and his posture fall. “Okay, maybe I like her a little bit.”

“You mean a lot a bit.”

“No! I mean a little bit!”

“Adrien--”

“Dude!”

Their squabbling was cut off by a knock on Adrien’s door. “Adrien, your father says you are allowed to go to the party and Marinette’s so long as you finish all your activities earlier that day. I will redo your schedule as follows. You will have your fencing lesson at six that morning, before school, and your Chinese lesson in between your Science and World Religion periods. You will be skipping piano that day, and extending your lesson on Saturday for two hours instead of one, and it will be early that morning before your photoshoot. Understood?”

“Yes! Thank you, Nathalie!” Adrien expressed, a bright smile on his face. Nino had a smile on his too, but the concern filled his eyes.

“That seems like a lot.”

“Yeah! But they went through all that rescheduling trouble just to let me go, Nino!” Adrien sighed, gratitude filling his words. Nino put a hand on Adrien’s shoulder.

“Yeah, very exciting. Anyway, back to your infatuation--”

“Nino!”

* * *

“Marinette!” Tikki squealed.

“I do not have an ‘infatuation’ with _Chat Noir!_ ” She said, her voice lilting at the boy’s name.

“You could’ve fooled me last night!” Tikki said, flying around to follow her chosen around as she paced across her room.

“I don’t like him! He just… Is not... not attractive! That’s it!” Marinette charged back at her kwami.

“Marinette! You’re sixteen! Isn’t it time to like… I don’t know, dip your toe in the water?”

“You just wanna see Plagg.” Marinette turned on her toe and stuck her tongue out.

“I couldn’t! Even if that is true!” Tikki crossed her arms.

“I will ‘dip my toe in the water’ with someone who isn’t my partner!” Marinette cried out. “I don’t want to have to lie to him.”

“Haven’t you two been lying to each other for years?” Tikki asked. Marinette shrugged. “I understand that it’s risky, Marinette, but you’re the smartest person I’ve ever met! You also work too hard to throw your happiness under the rug! Besides, haven’t you been happier since he came along?! And hasn’t that helped with like… The nightmares.”

Marinette threw herself onto her rolling chair, spinning a couple of times before plopping her head onto her keyboard, causing a noise to come out from her computer. She jumped at the noise and fell back into her seat. “Yeah, I… I guess. But still! Can’t that be the case with us as friends!”

“That’s fine with me, but it’s only a matter of time before you crack! You’re a hopeless romantic! Every time you have a crush you revolve your world around them! You’ve already started making him a gift! A gift, Marinette!” Tikki exclaimed, throwing herself at her chosen’s cheek.

“Yeah, sure, I’m the hopeless romantic. Whatever, Tikki! That’s what friends do, too! I’ve made Alya and Nino plenty of gifts. And Luka, and Juleka!” Marinette scoffed, folding her arms in denial. “I’m too busy for a crush, Tikki. I have school, class leadership, my fashion business, and being Ladybug. I shouldn’t even be putting my energy toward a crush.”

“Your happiness matters to me, Marinette! Plus, it makes me happier when you’re happy! Remember, the leeching thing.” Tikki explained, flying around and spinning. She was on a complete sugar high, after her third cookie, and Marinette couldn’t help but laugh at her overexcited kwami.

“I’m not feeding you any more cookies,” Marinette said, refocusing her attention to her sewing machine. “That’s final.” She stuck a finger out at a now disapproving kwami. The annoyance seeped into Marinette’s brain, causing Marinette to laugh a bit harder.

“You’ll see! I’m right! Besides, I can tell. You’ve got it bad.” Tikki pushed harder, poking her owner’s temple.

“I do not!” Marinette yelped, spinning on her chair.

“Yes, you do! All stuttering, and blushy! It’s very cute!” Tikki giggled, her previous annoyance being replaced with excitement and hyperactivity, in both Tikki and Marinette’s minds.

Marinette noticed her leg start to shake. “Is this supposed to be happening?” Marinette asked. Tikki quickly apologized and took a deep breath.

“Sorry! Sorry. My bad. My energy. Sorry! Hehe. Anyway, I’m still right.” Tikki said, her voice still high, but leveled. She settled down, flying into Marinette’s hair, and creating a small burrow for herself as Marinette shook her head, and scoffed.

“You’re not.” Marinette finished and returned her hands to the neon green thread under her sewing machine.

A couple of hours later, and Marinette smirked at her creation, turning to her kwami, they exchanged a high five. “I think he’ll like it.”

“I think you’re absolutely right.” Tikki nodded.

The sweater was nothing special for Marinette. It was black and heavy, and said the words ‘Meow-y Cat-Mas!’ Across them. Sure, Christmas wasn’t for another 2 months, but she was always one to get in the mood long before anyone else. She had been playing only Christmas music for about a week now, and she and Alya had made Christmas cookies in September.

And now, she was certainly ready for him to come that night. In a totally, one-hundred percent platonic way, of course.

“Are you tired, Marinette?” Tikki asked, worry encaptured in her expression. Marinette shot her companion a smile and rubbed her head a couple of times.

“Tikki, I’m always tired.” She giggled. “Don’t worry about me! I’ll be okay.”

Tikki hummed and kissed her chosen’s cheek. Marinette had felt bad, abandoning her kwami at night for her partner, but Tikki seemed to have no problem with eyeing her chosen’s new relationship. Marinette’s phone rang just seconds later.

“Oh, it’s Nino!” Marinette informed, immensely confused.

“Sup dudette!” Nino said through the phone that was now on speaker. Tikki stifled a giggle at Nino’s oh-so-familiar introduction. Marinette smiled fondly at his voice.

“Allo, Nino! What’s up?” Marinette talked to her phone, walking around to clean up the excess yarn and needles.

“Guess what! Adrien’s old man said he could make it to the party! And to your house beforehand!” Nino said excitedly. “He’s here with me right now!”

Another voice sang through the speaker, “Oh, hey Marinette!” The all-too-familiar cheery voice made Marinette laugh.

“Hey Adrien, glad you can make it!” Marinette said with pure hospitality. “Think you can get a Halloween costume in time, blondie?”

“Nino says we’re going to match. I don’t know if I trust that.” Marinette started cackling at the thought of her two guy friends walking around in matching costumes, and knowing Nino, they were probably ridiculous.

“What happened to your couple costume, Nino?” Marinette questioned, gathering a yarn ball she dropped clumsily.

“Alya is on this whole ‘feminism’ streak. Says she doesn’t need a man, and then she kisses my cheek. Very mixed signals.” Nino says, audibly confused.

Marinette snorted, silently thanking Tikki for helping her with the mess. “Sounds like Alya.” She grunted, standing up with a jump. “Good luck with your costume, Adrien, I’m kind of scared to see what he’s going to put you in.”

The two laughed from behind the phone, and Marinette smiled at the sound. It was nice hearing them happy. It had become a nice sound, and one she cherished. Just as much as she had cherished Alya and Nino’s laughs, she now cherished Adrien’s. It was cheerful, and it was always genuine. She had never heard a fake laugh from him.

“Are you still keeping yours some big secret?” Adrien whined. Marinette rolled her eyes at his tone.

“Yep! No peeks, too. My works are sacred.” Marinette said, dragging her words.

“Marinette you’ve sewn sweaters for my dog,” Nino said. Marinette would’ve slapped his head if she could.

“Sacred!” The girl interjected.

“Oh, we’ve gotta go. See ya later, Mari!” Nino said.

“Bye Marinette!” Adrien said in unison with Nino’s farewell.

“Bye~!” She sang out before the call abruptly ended. Taking a deep breath she put away her sewing machine and wrapped the sweater in a bag.

“They seemed excited!” Tikki commented on the phone call. 

Marinette let out a quick ‘mhmm!’ “I think they were, too, Tikki! I’m just excited to see what Nino decides to dress Adrien in.” Marinette giggled. Tikki followed her actions soon after.

“Speaking of, the Halloween party is a great time to get a photo with Adrien!” Tikki recommended. Marinette lit up, her shoulders rising.

“You’re right, Tikki!” Marinette said. Tikki smiled and nodded once, a gesture Marinette often did herself. She hadn’t noticed that Tikki did the same until now. Her eyebrows raised at the revelation. “I’m just glad he can come. From what I’ve heard, his father never lets him leave the house…”

“Is that _sympathy_ I hear? For Adrien?” Tikki beamed, floating up to meet her chosen at eye level. Marinette scoffed and rolled her eyes, pushing her kwami away.

“Oh, shush, Tikki. I’m not heartless. Also haven’t we established that he’s my friend now…?” Marinette offered.

“You say he’s your friend, yes, but this proves it! You like him!” Tikki exclaimed, buzzing around excitedly. 

“Calm down, girl scout, I don’t wanna start shaking again. And yeah, I like him as a friend.”

“You know that’s what I meant! I already know who you like as _more_ than a friend.” Tikki said suggestively, bumping Marinette’s shoulder.

Marinette zipped her head to Tikki. “Tikki! No! Stop! Not happening.”

“So happening.” Tikki laughed, kissing Marinette’s forehead.

“You know, just because of this, I’m waiting to give Chat his present.” Marinette huffed, crossing her arms.

“What!” Tikki yelped.

“You heard me, he’ll receive it next week,” Marinette smirked, poking her kwami’s nose.

“You make me suffer, woman.” Tikki sighed. Marinette giggled, pulling a blanket onto her chair, and turning on her computer.

Pulling up some random anime that Adrien had suggested to her, she resumed where she left off and let Tikki slump into her chin, curling up on her blanket under her. The bright light illuminated the dark area of the room under her bed, and she faded to a soft lull as the sun began to set behind her.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow slow burns pain me just as much as they pain you  
> I want them to LOvE eAchOTheR
> 
> this chapter was rly hard to get out bc i kept having to add things and i didn't know what to add? also, this is literally just marinette and tikki being those bitches. i love them so much we love 2 best friends. but anyway, next chapter is probably gonna be rly long bc its finna be HALLOWEEN BITCHES bc that happens in France!
> 
> xo, Emma


	13. Halloween: Part 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Part 1 of 3
> 
> they're hot and they know it

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> wow! emma? putting a title to her chapter? okay! sure.  
> lets get this bread boys because its starting  
> sorry for the delayed chapter, i was contemplating if i should split this into parts or not. the answer is yes. yes i should.

And she's so bright  
I can't believe my eyes  
Oh, I'm in paradise  
Show me heartbreak a thousand times  
I don't care to be or be caught without sweet misery by my side  
 _Televised - HUNNY_

* * *

“Are you guys ready!?” Alya pushed excitedly as their final class came to a close. Sure, it was an exam, but the group, and probably the rest of the school, was far too excited to focus on anything except for the party that night.

“My head hurts from that test…” Nino groaned, clutching his head with overdone theatrics. Laughing, Adrien slapped his back.

“Oh come on, Nino! I’m sure you did great.” Adrien praised enthusiastically, all giddy as ever. Marinette smiled at the interaction, especially Nino’s even louder groan as a response.

“Let’s go! I’m so ready.” Marinette started as the four started walking in the direction of the bakery. “Fair warning, Maman and Papa are a little overexcited when it comes to guests, so please excuse them if they’re…”

“Nosey. The word she’s looking for is nosey.” Alya finished, swinging an arm around Marinette. Marinette giggled and nodded, grabbing Alya’s wrist.

Adrien smiled at the laugh, following around the girls, Nino on Alya’s side, and Adrien on Marinette’s. “Nosey?” Adrien questioned curiously.

“Pfft, Marinette’s parents wanna know everything about everyone! All the time. With everything.” Alya said, rambling a bit. Marinette pulled off of her friend, holding her arms around herself as if she was cold.

“She isn’t wrong, honestly.” Marinette laughed. “It’s nice at times; knowing I can go to them for anything and they’re all ears but… It’s more unfortunate at other times. I’m only safe in my room after 9 pm.”

_So that explains that._ Adrien thought and laughed at her comment. She curled her arms tighter around herself, Adrien couldn’t help himself before the words left his mouth.

“Cold?” He asked, and looked over her shoulder. Alya and Nino were now wrapped up in their own conversation.

Marinette looked up at him, a startled look on her face. “Me? Oh! Yeah. I hate Fall. And the Winter…” She trailed off.

“Uh- I- I don’t know if this will help much, but here.” He stripped off his white overshirt, and placed it over her shoulders, as calmly as he could muster.

“Oh! Thanks, Adrien!” Marinette smiled, tucking the shirt tighter over her shoulders, presumably oblivious to Adrien’s actions being anything but his ordinary, helpful, and go-lucky self.

They arrived at the bakery not long after they left the school, swinging open the door, Marinette’s parents were there with open arms. “Marinette!” Sabine gushed, taking her daughter’s cheek in her palm and kissing it, before doing the same with Alya.

Nino got a slap on the back from Tom, and Adrien gave both parents a handshake and a classic, professional smile. Marinette didn’t like the forgery of the smile, but she shook it off. First time meeting your ex-enemy’s parents! It’s like Christmas. Tom and Sabine didn’t hold back on their hospitality to the group, immediately offering drinks and snacks, and even offering a place to stay. Adrien’s eyebrows raised at the offer, but he subsided into a laugh after the rest of the group’s shoulders started bouncing at the parent’s comments.

Marinette took Adrien’s overshirt off her shoulders and tied it around her waist, escorting her friends to her room. She took a deep breath, warning of the mess, and before she knew it the group was standing in her bedroom. Alya immediately fell onto the chaise, and Nino climbed onto Marinette’s ladder, sitting on the third step under her bed.

“Welcome to la casa Marinette, Adrien!” Alya chirped, to which Marinette laughed, spinning around with her hands out.

Adrien cleared his throat, trying to act as he had never seen the girl’s bedroom before. He nodded with a grin on his face, “Very nice. I like the design. It’s cozy.”

“Ugh, I don’t. Designed this room when I was 13, and haven’t gotten around to anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I love pink! But hot pink just isn’t my thing anymore, I’ve moved onto more subtle colors.” Marinette explained, sitting on her spinning chair, a movement Adrien was far too familiar with as a blush designated on his cheeks.

“She’s a changed girl,” Alya cooed sarcastically, to which Marinette throw a pillow at her with a glare on her face. The same pillow she would throw back and forth with Chat Noir night after night. “Sit, Agreste, don’t lose your model legs.” This time, Adrien shot her a glare but eventually did end up sitting next to Alya on the chaise.

“So, dudes, are you ready to see Adrien and I’s costumes?” Nino prepared, rubbing his hands together. Adrien pumped a fist in the air, while the two girls groaned and shook their heads.

“Ready as I’ll ever be…” Marinette mumbled, to which Adrien laughed and looked at her. The two met eyes and Adrien’s world halted to a stop. It was different seeing her eyes as Adrien, it was vulnerable, it was budding, it was the two of them existing and growing. It was… He was blushing. Scraping his neck, he darted their eye contact away. He ignored how she rubbed her palms on her jeans or stiffened her back, not thinking much of it other than;

_Oh shit, I made that really awkward._

“I’m personally excited to see Marinette’s costume.” Alya raised her eyebrows towards the raven-haired girl, who squealed and clapped her hands, flying off her seat a bit in excitement. “Woah, girl! Hold your high horse. The party doesn’t start for a couple of hours, but maybe we could start getting ready now?”

“If you’re taking a shower, I wish to join.” Nino piped up, holding his pointer finger in the air as he hunched over on the ladder. The group laughed at his comment, Marinette yelling at him in protest, and Adrien’s mouth ajar.

“Oh, you would like that, wouldn’t you? Welp, too bad!” Alya responded, bouncing up, and placing a kiss on his cheek, before walking over to her bag to take out her costume for the night. Marinette giggled at her best friend.

“Nino, if you get any ideas during the night, an announcement is not needed,” Adrien said as he stood, combing a hand through his hair. He walked over to the now fake-pouting boy and slapped his back. “Uh, Marinette, I don’t think Nino and I are gonna need to get ready quite yet, is there anything we should do in the meantime?”

“Do you not know how to make yourself occupied in a room without a foosball table, Agreste?” Marinette asked, a smirk on her face as she rolled back and forth on her chair. Nino snorted but covered it up with a cough.

“Ha, ha. No, I mean, can we help in any way?” Adrien offered, looking around the room. Marinette inhaled sharply, her gaze wandering for ideas, and she was humming loudly.

“Oh! Do you by any chance know how to curl hair?” Marinette lilted shyly, raising one of her shoulders. Adrien’s eyebrows skyrocketed. Being able to play with Marinette’s hair for free? Hell yeah. Today was a good day. He nodded hastily.

“Marinette, I’m a model, I’ve been curling hair since I could walk.” He scoffed, trying to sound cool in his reply to her offer. But his voice crack didn’t help. But it did result in his cheeks burning up, and his back tensing. Marinette laughed at the crack in his voice, but bounced up, and grabbed his wrist, pulling him toward her vanity.

“Okay, I can do this myself, but I’m… very bad at it.” She admitted, laughing nervously.

“Don’t worry about it, Pr- Ma-Marinette.” Adrien coughed to hide his slip up, praying she didn’t notice. Whether she did or didn’t, he couldn’t tell by the look on her face. He got started on the curling once they heard the shower start running.

A cat liked bouncy things, hell, a cat liked anything that he could play with among his hands. Her hair was soft, and the itching feeling was on his head again. He tried to ignore it, and for the most part, succeeded. The way they slipped into a small conversation as he curled her hair around the wand, keeping it there until his fingers burned, and carefully holding the curl in his hand. Mesmerized, he would drop the curl and watch it bounce.

“You look very bewildered,” Marinette commented, picking at her fingernails. Adrien laughed awkwardly, trying to think of a way to pull off his strange and hypnotized behavior.

“Oh! Yeah. Your hair is very, nice.” He cleared his throat, his cheeks burning with embarrassment and adoration for the girl beneath him. He combed his fingers through her scalp, the curls turning into perfect waves that lay nicely on her shoulders.

She giggled, and smiled, “Thank you! I take pride in it.” Marinette responded sarcastically. He laughed awkwardly again, drawing out a ‘yeah…’ in his laugh. The silence that enveloped them was nothing other than comfortable, their hearts beating at one pace, and Adrien growing more and more enthralled with the girl’s hair.

The hair almost embodied a cat toy, soft, easy to move around, perfect for his hand to just raise and swipe. Sure, he liked being destructive, and stealthy. But he was a cat, and cats needed to play sometimes. Before he knew it, his hand was in front of her hair, claws flexed forward, getting ready to strike.

“Woah, Marinette! Since when do you take selfies with Chat Noir?!” And the adrenaline was gone. Marinette whipped her head around, her eyes wide. Nino was sitting atop her bed, pointing at the photo of… Yep. Her and Chat Noir.

Alya poked her head out of the bathroom, a towel wrapped around her body, “I heard Chat Noir?” Adrien didn’t even realize the shower had turned off with his head in the clouds. His heart was racing. He needed to swipe something or pounce on something. Excitedness built up in his body. He felt Plagg hit his chosen’s chest a couple of times, trying to get him to calm down.

It wasn’t his fault, he just wanted to play! He felt a grip on his wrist, and his eyes darted down to meet Marinette’s. Suddenly, his pace calmed and fit a steady beat. It didn’t take much of her to calm him down, just a touch. A simple, stupid touch. Did she have that big of an effect on him? That just her touch could take him out something that overpowered his feelings that strong. He cleared his throat, and she took her hand away.

It didn’t feel right for either of them.

“Yeah, Marinette’s got a selfie with him!” Nino exclaimed, and Alya yelped, changing her gaze to Marinette, who was blushing ferociously. The blush made Adrien smirk, but he acted like he didn’t notice. _Very suave, Agreste._

“And you didn’t tell me?! What?! Girl, come on, that’s a free Chat Noir selfie!” Alya groaned and stomped on the floor with a pout. Adrien laughed at her childish actions and returned to combing through Marinette’s hair.

Marinette relaxed at the touch, her previously tense shoulders falling limp. “So what? He saved me after an Akuma attack, and I asked for a photo. Just a hero working for his fans. Besides, you get photos submitted every day of Chat Noir.”

“Not selfies, Marinette! People go crazy over that stuff.” Alya continued to whine, crossing her arms across her chest. Which Nino was poignantly staring at. Adrien laughed at Nino’s gaze towards his girlfriend’s bust, to which Nino darted his head to Adrien and blushed. Adrien shot him a thumbs up and, to the blonde’s least surprise, received a middle finger in response.

“Alya, it’ll be fine. It’s just one photo.” Marinette giggled. Adrien loved that photo, if he didn’t know better he would probably ask for a copy for himself right then and there. But he kept his trap shut. Ladybug would be proud of him.

“Wait, but I wanna know the deets! What was he like? Was he nice? Was he cocky? Did he mention Ladybug?” Alya pestered, her reporter cap coming on over her soaking wet hair as she fell onto the chaise.

Marinette blushed, and stammered. “W-Well I- Uh- He was, nice! For sure. Definitely nice. He’s, uh, he’s Chat Noir, Alya. Of course, he was a little cocky.” Adrien snorted at her comment about himself. She kept talking. “And, uh, yeah. He said Ladybug was the coolest person in the entire world. Now, write all about it, and get dressed.”

Adrien narrowed his eyebrows. _Coolest person in the world? Yeah right! I mean… She is, but..._ He shook it off as trying to to get Alya away from the bothering she was entailing, much shown by Marinette’s anxious face.

“This convo ain’t over, miss.” Alya pointed her finger towards her friend and returned to the bathroom. Marinette sighed, shaking her head in amusement.

“Alright. You’re done.” Adrien mumbled, and Marinette focused her gaze on the mirror. She beamed at her reflection, and then up at Adrien’s.

“Thanks! It looks great, you’re good at this!” She laughed through her words. Adrien blushed at the compliment and smiled back at her. Her voice changed, and so did her posture. She turned around and pulled his hand down, one that he didn’t realize was now set on the back of his neck. “My friend does that a lot too. It’s quite annoying.”

Right. Noted.

“Oh, uh, sorry?” He questioned, now moving his hand around awkwardly. He had no clue what to do with it. “Anyway, Nino and I are gonna change now, right Nino?”

Nino looked up from his phone with his eyebrows raised. Adrien nodded his head persuasively. Nino followed his actions, “Uh, uh, right! Yeah. Follow me, Adrien, I know where the downstairs bathroom is.”

Grabbing their bags, the two boys headed downstairs, leaving Marinette and Alya alone in the pink room. Marinette turned to look at herself again, fingers playing with her curls. Tikki flew up next to her and smiled at her chosen. “You look beautiful, Marinette!” The kwami whispered. Marinette kissed her companion’s forehead.

“Thank you, Tikki. I guess I can thank Adrien.” Marinette heaved, her shoulders falling in defeat. “I hope Chat doesn’t come when I have a bunch of friends over, that would be hard to explain.” Marinette wondered, her heartbeat picking up with nerves.

Tikki was about to reply before Alya stepped out of the bathroom. “Girl, who are you talking to?” The brunette laughed, running a hand through her hair that was now completely dry.

“Oh! Just… My… Reflection! Yep! Talking to my reflection.” Marinette chuckled rigidly. Alya nodded, obviously unconvinced. “You look great, Alya!”

She did. Her hair was placed in two pigtails, suiting her normal messy waves. She had cinder goggles lying on her top, that looked ultra-realistic. Her steampunk dress had multiple layers, certain to save her from the cold of the Fall, and it was off the shoulder. It was short, stopping mid-thigh, but it dipped lower in the back. The ruffles and tight fit worked well with her body. All in all, “You look hot.” Marinette complimented.

Alya laughed, spinning around in her costume as if she was in a fashion show. “Now, when are you getting dressed? I cannot wait to see this costume.” Alya begged, falling on Marinette’s chaise. Marinette raised her eyebrows and looked toward her closet where the costume was sitting inside. It was something she had been working on for a while now, overly excited to display it to her group of friends. And by the sounds of it, they were just as excited to see it themselves.

“When the boys get back, I’ll change. Besides, I’ve already finished my hair and make-up. Won’t take me long to change. Then, we will leave!” Marinette explained, looking at her phone. The party didn’t start for another 50 minutes, but it was at least a 15-minute drive to Chloe’s, that and her parent’s departure would fill up the time perfectly.

“Okay, since we have time to spare waiting for the boys… Chat Noir?” Alya raised her eyebrows and slapped her friend’s knee.

“Wh- Alya! It’s not like that. He’s just a superhero. He does... superhero shit.” Marinette expressed, rubbing her arm up and down. She was blushing, and she knew it. She just hoped Alya couldn’t.

“Right.” Alya dragged. Thankfully, their conversation was stopped by the two boys coming up the trapdoor.

“Are you fucking ready for this shit?” Nino spat, only to be chided by Marinette’s parents downstairs. “Oh! Sorry!!!”

The girls laughed at his slip up and motioned for them to just come up already. Marinette almost choked, and Alya immediately burst out into laughter. They posed, like true models, and Marinette’s choking quickly turned into churning laughter.

Adrien suited a red crop top with black spots and high waisted flashy red joggers with a black waistband. On his back was a pair of ladybug wings, and he had on bouncy red antennae flopping around on his head. Seeing him in her colors made Marinette just laugh harder, she never thought she would see the day that she was laughing at Adrien and it wasn’t because of some stupid shit he would say or do. Just pure, joined amusement.

Nino’s costume wasn’t too different. His crop top was black, with a green cat paw on it. He wore black jeans instead of joggers and felt cat ears were placed atop his head. Their matching black converse pulled the look all together, and Alya was practically crying at her boyfriend’s get-up. Alya wrapped her hands around his neck and kissed his cheek. “Oh, my perfectly stupid boy. You look great.”

“You don’t look too shabby yourself.” He flirted back, and they locked lips softly. Marinette met Adrien’s gaze and they both rolled their eyes at the sensualness between the two. Adrien took it to his duty to throw a small pillow at them that was lying on Marinette’s chaise.

They glared at Adrien before all four started laughing again. Adrien walked over to Marinette, his hands laid akimbo. “You gonna get dressed anytime soon?” He teased, and Marinette raised her eyebrows, before looking down and yelping.

“Oh, shit! Right! Yeah.” Grabbing her phone, she ran into her closet. It didn’t take her long to get dressed, and she was immensely excited. She had spent a while working on the costume, and she was almost positive only Alya would understand.

She was right, technically. Walking out of her closet, she met eyes with Alya who immediately dropped her jaw. “Girl, you fucking didn’t.” She wained, before laughing and grabbing her best friend’s hands, spinning her around. Adrien smiled dopily at his newfound crush, the heat spreading to his cheeks as he admired her work.

“You look great, Marinette! But, uh, who the hell are ya?” Nino laughed.

“I, Nino, am Princess Justice.” Marinette raised her eyebrows, extending her arms for the full look. She resembled a roman warrior, a cheap-looking golden headband laid wrapped around her forehead. Her kimono was deep red and bright white, and it flared into a floaty dress at the bottom. Golden cuffs lay on her wrists, and a golden chain connected each cuff to the end of her sleeves. She accompanied the look with simple black ballet flats.

“Pr- Who?” Adrien squeaked, before clutching his throat at the highness of his voice. He cleared his throat and covered it up with a cough.

“Well, we all know Hawkmoth kind of sucks at designing shit. So, I took it to my liberty to design my Akumatized self. It’s a bit out there, but I’ve been thinking of this since I was fourteen! It’s like, the only time I’ll ever get to show off my idea. So, here it is.” She spun around, the dress spinning into a bowl shape under her waist. “I would’ve had a balance, but I didn’t wanna have to carry it around all night.”

“You’ve been akumatized?” Adrien said almost immediately, concern growing in his face. Marinette cringed at the memory but nodded.

“Almost. Yeah. But… He released it. I’m not sure why, and I haven’t questioned it. It was a long time ago though.” Marinette laughed casually and tried to refrain from getting asked more questions. “Anyway, I say we leave soon. Go on down, I’ll meet you guys down there.”

The group clambered downstairs, and Marinette stayed back in her room to gather her things into her bag. “You look awesome, Marinette!” Tikki chirped. Marinette smiled and kissed her kwami on the forehead.

“Now, I’ll put extra cookies in my bag tonight. I’m sorry you’ll have to deal with the noise, Tikki. I can always think of a stupid excuse to back out if you’re not okay during the night.” Marinette explained, pacing around her room and grabbing extra lip balm, and a few macarons she had stuffed in a drawer for emergencies.

“Don’t worry about it. I’ll be fine. Just go out and have fun!” Tikki responded, hugging her chosen’s cheek. Marinette returned the hug with a small pat, and the kwami flew into her bag not long after.

Climbing downstairs, she witnessed her parents already taking pictures. Waving her in, Marinette laughed and jogged over to the group. Squeezing in between Adrien and Alya, the group took too many photos to count. Then her parents took some of Nino and Alya, then of course Nino and Adrien, and Alya and Marinette.

“Oh! Maman, I’ve been meaning to ask, could Adrien and I get a few photos? I need some for my board.” Marinette asked, remembering her sticker debacle. And Chat Noir’s teasing. She blushed at the memory and internally groaned at her natural reaction to the boy.

Sabine eagerly nodded, gesturing to push the two together. Adrien was smiling when she looked at him and holding out his arm. Marinette walked forward, looping a hand around his waist. He put his arm over her shoulder, and Marinette fell into his side, smiling for the photo.

They only took a few, some serious, some funny, and even one Charlie’s Angels style. After many laughs and many photos, the gang finally headed out the door and on the way to the party.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> im so EXCITED yall for the next to chapters holy SHIT
> 
> anyway shoutout to Bridgette for introducing me to atla  
> also shoutout to her for being my absolute best friend and letting me suck her into miraculous <3


	14. Halloween: Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Halloween party starts and the gang gets their (legal) drink on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i am 15 and have never been drunk or even tipsy before i am sorry in advance  
> infinitesimal is the biggest bop my music taste has changed so much in the past week but its a banger
> 
> sorry for the late update; some shit has been going on irl and has made me lose track of time and days and shit (read end notes for more or don't idc) I hope you still enjoy I love writing these babies it always helps me even if the writing is complete ~shit~

Millions and billions and trillions of stars but I'm down here low  
Fussin' over scars on my soul, on my soul, on my soul, on my soul  
On my soul, I am so infinitesimal, oh  
 _Infinitesimal - Mother Mother_

* * *

It didn’t take too long to get to the hotel. The car ride might’ve been 15 minutes, but it felt like 5. With the laughing, the jokes, and the non-stop conversation, the group’s ride there went much quicker than expected. It was also accompanied by Nino’s awfully comical singing to random Britney Spears songs on Alya’s playlist.

Exiting the car, Alya took Nino’s hand and walked toward the entrance. Marinette and Adrien soon fell in line, still laughing from excitement and the car ride from the past. The four were bombarded by noise and crowds the moment they entered the building. Most parties at Chloe’s were straight out of the movies, honestly, people were almost positive some of the guests were paid actors just to make Chloe’s parties look bigger than they were. But they couldn’t prove that.

“Welcome to la casa Chloe, Marinette,” Adrien shouted over the music, placing his hand on the small of her back. Laughing, she looped her arm through his. His insides fizzled at the contact that she initiated as he continued to lead her through the room.

“Ah well, thank you. If you mind me asking, is there room to breathe?” Marinette yelled back. Adrien through his head back, before shaking it. Grabbing her wrist, he guided her within the crowd following Alya and Nino. Soon they all got tucked into a smaller, much quieter section of the room. Everywhere you looked was a new costume. Some extremely creative, some downright hilarious, some way too revealing, and some just classy as hell. Those people didn’t get the memo, though.

The party was bustling, and Chloe was nowhere to be seen. But all four knew that with the arrival of Adrien, she would come buzzing around anytime. Sooner than later, her arm was flung around the blonde, champagne glass in her hand. “Adrien! You come! So glad.”

“Hey, Chlo.” He responded, grabbing her wrist and kissing her cheek in a familial way. Alya gagged at the motion, and the other two snickered. Her gaze shifted to the other three and rolled her eyes.

“Did you really have to bring them, Adrien?” She wined, not completely sober, but her sobriety didn’t change her true feelings of the rest of the kids at her school. Marinette knew how she felt, and she didn’t expect anything to happen to her because of it. It was just how she was. She rolled her eyes at the bleach blonde’s comment, and tensed her shoulders, rolling them back. Sure she was uncomfortable! She was used to it, but that didn’t change how the words affected her.

What she didn’t expect, however, was for the mop, of all people, to speak up. He hesitated, but he spoke. “Don’t say that, Chlo. These are my friends. Don’t be rude.” He squeezed her wrist and removed it from his shoulder. Marinette’s eyebrows raised, and without realizing it, she physically relaxed. She wanted to throw her arms around Alya in glee. The boy finally gained some balls. She was overjoyed. Chloe’s face dropped at his sudden tone, which was low and personal.

It was something that always bugged Marinette about her new friend. It was agitating, and she just wanted him to grow a pair, and stand up for his friends. And finally, he fucking did. It made Marinette smile, the way Chloe nodded, and walked away, placing one more kiss on her friend’s cheek, and a swig of champagne. Or, at least, what she assumed was champagne. Marinette let out a breath, watching her walk away.

Turning to Adrien, a smile was still on her face. “That was… Really cool of you.” Unaware of his rosy tint, he smiled back and nodded. That was all she needed to end the conversation.

“So… Chat Noir?” Adrien wiggled his eyebrows. God, not him too. Marinette stammered, her heart did a summersault. Fuck, ugh, she was falling into this hole deeper than she thought. Just the mere thought of him sometimes sent her into a frenzy she could no longer get out of. All because of his sudden stupid charm, and his annoyingly perfect personality. She wondered if he would visit tonight. She missed him. She shook it off, she should spend time with her friends and Marinette knew it.

“Oh… Shut up. I’ve already been through this with Alya, so, who cares?” Marinette tried to level out her voice, acting cool. Her now wild blush was covered up by the multi-colored LED lights.

“Oh, so there’s something to go through?” Adrien continued, leaning in closer. “Care to share?”

“N-No! Care not to share! I-I mean, I do not… Care to share- There is _nothing_ to share!” Marinette stammered, her body tensing. Adrien laid off, putting a hand on her shoulder tentatively.

“Just messing with you, Marinette,” Adrien responded, a smile wider than anything she had ever seen on his face.

“You’re getting too much amusement from this.” Marinette huffed, crossing her arms over her chest, and leaning against a nearby column. “It’s scary. Stop laughing! Stop smiling!” She slapped his arm playfully. He rubbed it up and down. She wasn’t that strong, damn.

“N-No! Just, joy! No. Amusement. Why would I get joy from that? Not joy. Definitely, not joy.” Adrien squeaked, almost as stammered as Marinette. Marinette was now the one smiling, beaming at the newfound awkwardness of her newfound friend. She didn’t know what overcame him, but she didn’t care to bring it up. Shrugging, she smugly grabbed a cup of something or the other from a nearby waiter and swigged it down.

It burned her throat, and she cringed. Marinette wasn’t a big drinker. Even socially, she turned down drinks, just because she found no appeal. Apparently, it was evident, because Adrien immediately laughed at her facial expressions.

“Okay, shut up, I am not- used to this taste.” Marinette expressed, taking another godawful sip of the bombarding drink in her hand. The aftertaste felt nice though, bubbly and fresh and new. It was sweet after the burning and bitterness and made her feel lighter. She didn’t know what was in her hand, but it was stronger than she expected.

“Lay off a bit, Mari. Small sips, not big swigs.” He took his drink and took a sip in a demonstration. She stuck her tongue out at him. “This tastes like vodka. Don’t take too much, it’s strong.”

“Why do you know so much about alcohol?” Marinette laughed, taking a smaller sip. It didn’t burn as much, and the feeling wasn’t as strong. it was almost nice, she felt old. She had been legally allowed to drink for months now, her birthday being back in July. But she had never acted on it, not feeling the need to, or not being in a situation where she wanted to. But here she was, at a party with her friends, just having fun. It was basically perfect.

“Socially? I’ve been drinking since I was 12. You get used to it after a while.” Adrien explained, tracing his fingers around the glass being held.

“Oh?” Marinette questioned, noticing the fall in his face and his darted eye contact. He hummed in response, his shoulders tensing.

“I mean, being a model, and all. And being the son of Gabriel Agreste and all that shit… It’s nice! But I don’t really get to control what I do. That’s always been the case and it still is. There are pros and cons to everything.” He finished, raising his cup a bit, before swigging it back. Marinette stared pensively, reflecting on her thoughts.

She had always just assumed that Adrien enjoyed the spotlight. Sure, she knew he was kind of controlled by his Dad, but she didn’t know the severity of it. She wasn’t sure she ever would. But she was grateful for what she received now. She didn’t know what to say, her mind failing her to conceive words, and the alcohol she swigged already kicking in. All that came out was, “I think I’m a lightweight.”

Adrien snorted and nodded his head. “I think so too.” The revelation didn’t refrain from Marinette to take another swig, the first cup now is gone. Taking the cup from her hand, it didn’t take her long to grab another. “Be careful, Marinette. Seriously, I don’t want you to get too messed up. Vodka can be hard, and knowing Chloe, she likes her alcohol hard.”

“I’m sorry about your, uh, parent- Dad. Your dad.” She explained, taking off her purse and placing it on the floor by her foot, careful to keep it tucked under her foot. Adrien nodded, waving it off. “It’s very hard to take you seriously with your wings.” The two piled into laughter, and both tapped their cups, taking another sip together of their drink.

“Can we please go dance? God, I’m fucking bored.” Nino groaned, rolling against his girlfriend, who pushed her body against his to catapult him upward. Alya grabbed her boyfriend’s wrist and pulled him to the dance floor. Marinette and Adrien made eye contact, and shrugged, following them afterward without a second thought.

The dancing was fun, jumping and yelling and Adrien spinning Marinette and Alya by their pointer fingers. Alya would jump on Nino’s back. The four were all around having an amazing time, their Halloween costumes blending in with everyone else’s, and for the first time in a while, Marinette felt like a teenager. Her blood boiled, and alcohol fled to her gut and veins. The sweat on her forehead wasn’t caused by an Akuma attack or a patrol, or anything she had to worry about. It was sweet, it was true. It was real. It wasn’t some prophecy or some responsibility. It was just her, being able to live.

She looked at the three people around her. She knew she had given Alya and Nino a miraculous before, and they had used to quite a bit since the first time given to them. Especially in the Winter, but her eyes gazed over to Adrien. And for the first time, she wondered if she should give one to him.

Her pure harmony and bliss didn’t last long, and she had never wanted to breakdown and cry more. She had been overwhelmed before, and she knew how to deal with it. But it had been a while that her pure happiness had been interrupted. But before she knew it, people were screaming, and Adrien had grabbed her wrist, pulling her out of the way of the crowd.

The all-too-familiar dialogue boomed over the concert hall. Her ears burned, and her mind wasn’t processing what was going on. At least, it was having trouble doing so. It would go in one ear, load for about five seconds like a buffering computer screen, and compute through the brain in a matter of ten more seconds. And don’t even get her started on having to decipher the words.

“I am the Vampire Slayer! Paris was not meant for these silly costume games. You are going against our culture, and you will all pay!” The Akumatized victim wained through the hall. Her voice was high and bubbly. She sounded almost like a ghost, or Moaning Myrtle.

“God damn, couldn’t Hawk Moth take like one night off?” Adrien muttered, shielding Marinette’s head. He couldn’t see much, but he knew he needed to transform. The same thoughts were going through Marinette’s mind. “Uh, Marinette, stay here! You’ll be safe. Drink this.” He said, handing her a bottle of water he grabbed from a nearby cooler.

“Wai- But-” Before she could finish, Adrien ran off. She groaned, rolling her head across the wall. “Alright, well, Tikki-” The silence from her kwami had her immediately panicking, her seriousness coming back in a matter of seconds. “Oh shit! Tikki! Fuck.” She hissed to herself, crawling around, attempting to hoist herself up.

The screaming had died out, and she had trusted Chat Noir had arrived already, at least she pleaded he had. Stumbling out of the hallway, she looked around for her bag. The hall was now empty, cups laid everywhere, and popcorn kernels and random candy and chips all over the floor.

“Tikki! Tikki!” She seethed, still stumbling around searching for her kwami. Looking up, the victim was gaining on Chat Noir. Scanning her surroundings, she finally spotted her bag. But of course, it was at the other end of the ballroom by now, probably kicked around by people, and the wind of the Akuma. This Akuma seemed angrier than most, probably acting more on anger than sadness. Those were normally more aggressive Akumas. They were ruthless and didn’t care who they hurt or how they did it.

Looking at her partner, he had extended his baton multiple times, most definitely dialing Ladybug. She needed to get to her bag, but it was on the other side of the hall, lying on the floor. She needed to get the Akuma over here, along with giving Chat Noir at least a minute of a break to think of a plan on his own until she showed up… Well, Ladybug showed up.

Acting mainly on impulse, and the amount of alcohol in her system, she walked into the middle of the room, and yelled, her finger pointing up at the Akuma, “H-Hey!” She slurred just a little bit. “Get your boomer ass down here.” It was crude, but it got their attention.

“Princess, fuck.” She heard Chat Noir mutter. She waved towards the boy, and despite her lack of reality, she blushed at his words. “Marinette, stop!” He yelled louder.

“Come here, little Akuma, come on!” Marinette cooed, ignoring her partner’s objections.

“I am not a pet, girl. I am Vampire Slayer!” The Akuma beamed in a false sense of authority.

“Yeah, yeah, I know, kill the kids! Blah blah. Anyway, I’m dressed up! Just come and get me!” Marinette yelped. The Akuma flew towards her, and she dove out of the way. She heard her partner yell, and she hoped her plan would work. “Really? Come on, you’re slow, and I’m not even sober.” She teased, running somewhere. Before she knew it, Chat Noir had grabbed around her waist.

As he wrapped her in his arms and pulled his baton out, she smirked. It had worked. As he angled the girl and himself out of the building, she swooped down and grabbed her bag, tucking it close to her chest. The two landed in an alleyway, and immediately she saw the unfriendly look in his eyes, and her blood ran cold.

“Chat-” She huffed. He didn’t listen, grabbing his baton, and flying back toward the building.

Groaning, she opened her bag, hugging Tikki. “Marinette! You’re okay!” Tikki sighed in relief. “What you did was stupid, but I wouldn’t expect anything different from you.”

“I’m not exactly the most stable right now, Tikki.” Marinette giggled. “But, we gotta do this. Can you give me some extra strength? I’ll go easy, I promise.”

“Of course. Good luck, sweetheart.” Tikki praised. Summoning her transformation, she swooped up her yo-yo and ducked in next to Chat Noir.

“Let’s finish this quickly, Bug. I got something to do.” His voice was hard, it was angry. She winced, and nodded, rolling her shoulders back. The Akuma wasn’t necessarily threatening. Sure, she was fast. But she was old and had a really bad reactive system. She had awful reflexes, and it wouldn’t take much to get her where they needed her. What they needed, however, was to find out where the Akuma was.

“Got any leads?” Ladybug asked, clearing her throat, trying not to get sidetracked by her partner’s coldness. It worried her. Had he been that upset? He wouldn’t even let her explain. It was somewhat ridiculous, but she assumed she would hear all about it later. He hadn’t even said hello. His stoicism made her do a doubletake.

“Nope. Maybe one. She keeps shielding her belt. It’s a large target. Shouldn’t be too hard.” Chat Noir explained. Smiling, Ladybug nodded. They met eyes. No smile was on his face, but he nodded too. At the same time, they pounced forward. Attacking from different angles, they learned the Akuma. It shot silver daggers from its hands, and each one permitted a gnarly smell of garlic that made the two superheroes regurgitate.

The belt in question had wooden stake-looking spikes proceeding from it, and the black lipstick on her face didn’t suit her as well as Hawkmoth probably thought it did. Ladybug laughed at her appearance.

After a couple of minutes of fighting, Ladybug signaled for her partner to cover her. Obliging, he distracted the Akuma with a hard attack, knockin her out of balance, and back into the cat’s attention. “Lucky Charm!” Ladybug called, and what landed in her hand was a large fishing rod with no hook. Humming, she looked around for a solution. Her eyes landed on her partner, the stake-studded belt, a chocolate fountain, and a plastic cup on the floor.

Swooping down, she grabbed the cup. The Vampire Slayer was already distracted. Perfect. Ladybug chuckled at the simplicity of it all, mocking her rival for making these late-night Akumas so simple. So easily solved. Laughable. Mockable. Looking around, her eyes landed on the over the top chocolate fountain, along with other sweet dippings around it. Including a one for melted, gooey marshmallow dip. Sticky, and hot. Excellent.

Whistling nonchalantly, she spread the cup in the marshmallow dip, her mind not completely there, but her sobriety was there. So at least it was something. Grabbing the cup by the rim, she swung back over to her partner, leaning against a column hooked up by her yo-yo like a safety belt. She whistled loudly, “Hey, heads up!” She threw the cup toward her, and immediately, her hands reached out and grabbed the cup.

Immediately, she flung it off her hands, but it was too late. Now, they were completely immobilized by the hot, sticky, melting marshmallow dip. The over-sensitive Akuma started wailing at the heat and sticking her hands together with a complaint. “Chat Noir, now!” Reeling the fishing rod over to him, he looped it around one of the many spikes on her belt. It didn’t take much reeling for Ladybug to grab it. She threw it back over to her partner.

“Cataclysm!” He roared, before it fell into his hand, snapping in half. The Akuma fell out, and Marinette sighed a sigh of relief, purifying the Akuma while barely thinking, she threw up her miraculous ladybugs. 

“Pound it.” The two said in unison, both soft, both low, both not convinced. Less for themselves, and more for the cameras. The two looked at the woman looking confused on the floor and remembered they had a job to finish. After talking to the woman, she apologized for her behavior but still wasn’t convinced by the teen’s party.

“Would you like a ride home, miss?” Ladybug asked calmly.

“Oh- I’m staying in the hotel.” The woman explained. The two superheroes blinked at each other before shrugging and nodding at the older woman. Helping her back on her feet, the mayor escorted her to her room.

Turning her attention to her partner, he was looking far off. “I’ll see you later, Bug.”

“Chat-” She rose, concern and a bit of annoyance in her speech.

“I’ve gotta talk to someone.” He told, before catapulting up, and far away from the party. Well in the direction of Marinette’s home. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath.

Her hand dropped, and she swung away to look for a place to detransform. “Tikki spots off.” Her kwami fell into her hand, and Marinette quickly fed her a cookie from her bag. Thankfully, there were some left. 

“I gotta get back, do you mind?” Marinette bit her lip, and Tikki shook her head. Making her way back to the hotel as Tikki flew back into her bag.

Arriving back, all she found were Alya and Nino. “Are you guys alright? W-where’s Adrien?” She slurred, the effects of the alcohol slowly but surely coming back to her as her Ladybug-fix wore off on her antics.

“We’re totally fine. Alya still snapped pics, though, I tried to stop her.” He nudged his smug girlfriend before continuing. “Not sure about Adrien. His old man makes him come home during most Akuma attacks. Probably just headed out when it started.” Nino informed, which explained why he ran off so fast after dropping off Marinette, so she just nodded with acceptance to his answer. “I shot him a text already.” Nino finished.

“Hey, Marinette. So, my Mom wants me to come home after the attack, and I’m pretty sure the party is closing early, anyway, so do you wanna sleepover at mine?” Alya asked, twiddling with her phone in her hand. As amazing as that sounded to Marinette, her parents were probably thinking the same. It was well after dark at this point, too. She was also expecting a visit from a certain feline, and she didn’t want to risk that either.

“I’ll pass, Alya. I shouldn’t. My parents, also worried, and stuff. I’ll see you guys… Later?” She explained, trying to explain her words. Alya laughed and offered her a ride, which she happily accepted, not trusting herself to get herself home. She was drunk, not stupid.

Clambering into Nino’s car, the ride back wasn’t nearly as fast as the ride there. It was pretty silent, Alya and Nino having their quiet conversation while Marinette dozed in the back. She was scared, not of him, of course, but more anxious to try and deal with this conversation with Chat Noir. Especially when she could barely form a thought. If anything, she wanted more alcohol at this point.

Finally, they arrived at the bakery, and the three bid each other farewell. Walking into the house, the lights were off. She assumed her parents had gone to sleep. It was well after midnight by now, so she wouldn’t suspect any different. Besides, she had texted them that she was okay less than an hour ago now. Going into the kitchen, she immediately grabbed a handle from their small but sturdy stash of alcohol. The taste was nice for the time being, and hopefully, she would end up forgetting the night ahead of her if she could control it herself.

What she was least surprised about though, was that when she clambered into her room, Chat Noir was sitting on her bed, looking at her corkboard, and arms crossed.

“Come on in.” Marinette spat sarcastically.

“I’m not happy with you.” He said, his tone still flat and cold. She recognized his correctness with a nod. She placed her bag down in a corner where Tikki could easily get out and move around and phase her way to her bed, or small nook under her bed, and took her second sip of that handle. “You’re still drinking.”

“Yeah,” Marinette responded. “And?”

“You’re a lightweight.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm sorry for such a delay I've lost track of time I have gotten a solid 12 hours of sleep in the past 4 days so I really don't know what I'm doing but anyway I hope you still enjoy I'm sorry I don't know how to write ladrien and ik ppl are asking for ladrien it will happen I swear, maybe
> 
> anyway, swag puts on sunglasses thanks I hope you enjoy my shitty descriptions of everything i don't know how drunk people work? also yes I did look up "what alcohol is most strongest makes you drunk with little" and i think that proves that I write very well also my Grammarly scores have gone from an 88 to a 95 the past couple chapters so uwu thanks Grammarly its 1 am im sorry unless u live in Europe then wake up its biscuit time bitch
> 
> xo, Emma


	15. Halloween: Part 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Chat Noir's visit to Marinette reveals things the two didn't know were possible.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all; I am so sorry for the delay in this chapter, especially since it was an anticipated one. I've been on vacation, and I just started school again yesterday, so I've had little to zero time to actually sit down and write. I finally got a majority of this done in my car ride home (on my phone, because your girl is a dumbass and forgot to charge her computer before leaving Florida.)
> 
> I hope you like it. I apologize for the wait, and I appreciate all your comments and kudos! <3

Anxiety tossing turning in your sleep  
Even if you run away you still see them in your dreams  
It's so dark tonight, but you'll survive certainly  
It's alright, come inside, and talk to me  
 _Talk To Me - Cavetown_

* * *

Marinette nodded at the comment, snorting a bit in her haze. “Maybe so.”

His next words were a bit more aggressive, and it made Marinette freeze a bit, “Why did you do that?” He climbed onto her roof, and she soon followed after taking another long swig, placing down her handle, and taking a deep breath.

“I did it-” She said, halfway up her trapdoor, before grunting. “To help you… And, get my bag.” She folded her arms at the top. He wasn’t looking at her. Her stomach churned. This was not how she wanted to spend this night.

“Marinette.” His voice raised as he turned around, clutching his fists, before releasing them. “Marinette-” He leveled his voice out. She knew he didn’t like being angry. Hell, he barely liked being mad at Akumas, much less actual people with memories. “You could have gotten injured. Or, or worse. You put yourself in too much danger, and I-”

“Chat, the worst that could’ve happened is I would’ve been speared by one of her stupid silver things, and encased in that coffin. Ladybug would have fixed me right up.” Marinette explained, well knowing that wasn’t the case. The thought actually scared her. She was too fucked up and done with this night to care.

“Marinette, seriously.” Chat was speaking very slowly as if he was choosing each word very very carefully. Marinette knew she wasn’t sober, but he was getting on her nerves. She felt her hands clench, wanting to interrupt him or yell at him. She didn’t exactly know why… He had a reason to be worried! But it wasn’t a reason he knew, so why was he so stupidly worried?

“I’m being serious! Why are you hanging up on me, I would have been fine.” She said a bit louder, holding onto the back of her outdoor lounge chair to keep her stable.

“Marinette, you can’t just trust that that would work every time you never know what’s going to happen!” Chat snapped, turning around to finally face her. It was only now that she saw the real anger in his face. His eyes were creased, and there was a cat-like scowl on his face.

She knew he was right. They had talked about that before; they should be prepared for anything because Ladybug’s miraculous ladybugs could’ve ended up not happening. Just as it would have been if Marinette was affected by that Akuma.

But Marinette didn’t give two flying fucks that he was ‘right.’ “Chat, I don’t need to be babied, you need to lay off of me.” She slurred, rubbing her temple with the back of her fist.

“Mari, how the fuck am I supposed to lay off of you when I literally saw you throw yourself into danger?! Not to mention the fact that you weren’t even sober when doing so.” He scoffed as if this was ridiculous. It made her blood boil tighter.

“Calm down! I’m a big girl, I can look out for myself. God, Chat, why do you even care so much?” Her voice had raised, lilting, and cracking. It was weak, but it was loud. Her voice felt stuck in her throat. Marinette wanted to strangle it as if saying; Now’s not the time to break!

Her angry spiel wasn’t over, more words already making their way out of her. But she was interrupted before she could get another out; “Because I care too much about you, Marinette!”

Her name is his voice was coated with sweet intoxicated anger, filled with love and worry; and shelled with intensity. An intensity that was met with silence. Marinette took a deep and shaky breath. She couldn’t meet his eyes. 

She knew it right there.

She had the biggest crush on this guy. This stupid cat. Her partner. Her best friend. She was stuck, utterly, and completely stuck.

“I’m sorry for raising my voice.” He cooed, taking a step toward her frozen and far off body. She took a step back and his breath hitched. She winced, hiding her nose in her shoulder, it made her partner shudder, and take a step backward.

“I’m not… Scared of you, Chat.” She reconciled. “I’m sorry.” Her voice barely a whisper. She was so over the edge, every emotion breaking into her ears; love, anger, sadness, happiness, worry, anxiety; All in all… She hated being drunk.

“It’s okay.” He responded. “May I come closer to  
you?” He asked, the consent melting the girl’s heart. She nodded, not trusting words any longer. He took a few steps forward, the tension was thick. She couldn’t tell what type of tension it was. But it was there and it was blanketing them. “May I touch you?”

Another nod. She felt a finger move her chin. Her eyes met his and she wanted to vomit. His eyes were passive; so neutral and chilling. There wasn’t an ounce of worry in them anymore. There was just trust. Pure and utter trust. He tucked a piece of her curled hair behind her forehead. His eyes roamed her body, looking for cuts or bruises of any kind even though he knew he wouldn’t find any.

Each touch was consensual, each touch was soft and kind and gentlemanly. Never crossing a boundary. It made Marinette wonder what type of guy he was behind the mask. He was such a gentleman as it is; who else could possibly have this much kindness in them? Sometimes, she refused to believe it.

“Nice costume.” He whispered, their bodies were close. Marinette felt her eyes lay on them. His lips. They were upturned into a smile; Grateful and sweet. “I’m glad you’re alive.”

“I’m glad you’re alive too.” Words felt foreign all of a sudden like she hadn’t talked in years. Each word around him was filled with serotonin. She couldn’t describe the happiness she felt around him. She couldn’t help it, every wandering thought digging deeper into her mind. Her lack of sobriety took over her. “May I kiss you?”

His body tensed, and Marinette instantly felt like she had crossed a line, and couldn’t turn back. She expected him to yell, say no! Or, gross! Like a little boy running away from cooties. Instead, he said; “You’re drunk. I’m not kissing you under the influence. You- You don’t know what you’re saying.”

“Chat, look at me.” Marinette said, no slurring, clear as day; “I would want this even if I wasn’t drunk. Besides… I’m sobered up enough.”

He didn’t know what to do, his eyes wandering her face, and mouth slightly open. “Do you… not want to kiss me?” She asked, the thought suddenly crossing her mind that he didn’t want this at all. It hurt her stomach; anxiety piling up.

“No… No, I do. I want to kiss you.” He whispered, their noses brushing. It was so low… Everything was so low.

“Then kiss me…” She cut herself off, her lips finding his. It was sloppy and tasted like wine. His lips were funny against hers. They fit, and it felt perfect and made her stomach churn and head spin. But they were soft. Tasted like apricot, and something else fruity.

He kissed back, his claws digging into her sides, and twisting up the fabric of her dress. He clutched it in his hands and used it as a comforting pad to press harder into her side. Marinette’s hands found their way up into his blonde hair. Scratching as she would do regularly, but the scratches were different. They were needy; they were guilty; they were comfort and reconciled that this is what she wanted and he wasn’t doing anything wrong.

She knew this was stupid. She knew she shouldn’t do this. She knew the rest of her life from this moment forward would be confusing and stupid and impulsive. But the effects of the alcohol and the sheer want of the superheroine pressed against her fogged up her mind and made all those thoughts melt away into nothingness.

The kisses got rougher and more desperate. Less sloppy, more synchronized. She knew this boy like the back of her hand and she had since she was thirteen years old. Every movement; every word, every sweet nothing, every reassurance they all finally made sense.

She wished she had figured that out sooner.

Taking a break for breath, their foreheads still pressed together; she felt like flying. Her feet were 10 feet off of the ground, her head was seriously in the clouds. Serotonin and adrenaline pumped through her blood.

“Mari, I probably shouldn’t do this.” He confessed, not assured enough to give it up. She nodded her head, relating to him more than he would ever know.

Blue eyes, white skin, and an empty world would make their way into her mind later. But right now, she could care less about Hawk Moth, or Ladybug, or responsibility, or regrets. Right now, she would just say; “Me neither.”

And somehow, someway, find his lips again. She had lost her heart to him. Something she couldn’t believe would ever happen.

Something she would never admit to her fourteen-year-old self would ever. But here she was. Not even as Ladybug! It was so ironic, she wanted to laugh at nothing. It wasn’t right… It wasn’t and she knew that but she had never felt the levels of serotonin she was feeling at this moment. Her heart and head buzzed, everything was fuzzy and light. He was delicate and soft. Completely and utterly addicting.

They pressed harder against each other, trying to connect a gap that wasn’t there. There was nothing between the two bodies. Marinette expected to hear buzzing in her ear, something loud like fireworks, or confetti, but there was no sound. Every other sense was far too overwhelming for her hearing to work at this moment.

The breath was knocked out of the ravenette. Something that sounded impossible from such a simple, gentle action. She was used to getting the breath knocked out of her; Fighting, climbing, falling, grunting, those were all normal. That’s the life of being a superhero. But this was different. She wasn’t fallen, bruised, or beaten. She wasn’t sweating or annoyed. She was in pure bliss. His hands were wrapped around her wrists and sandwiched in between the bodies.

Her loss of breath forced her to pull away, their foreheads stuck together, panting filled the silence as Marinette’s hearing slowly but surely came back to her. Their eyes didn’t meet for a few moments, recollecting their breaths and deciding on what the next move would be.

Finally meeting eyes, Marinette’s throat clogged again. He was still angry, she could tell. But there was something different there too, something she didn’t recognize. A look in his eyes that she hadn’t seen since they were fourteen years old. Millions of emotions swarmed around the two. Thousands of unsaid thoughts, hundreds of discussions they dreaded having, but only one true comprehensive piece of knowledge.

_“Wow.”_ She breathed out before she could help it, needing to get something off of her chest before it plummeted to the bottom of her shoes. He didn’t respond, just nodded against her forehead, closing his eyes again. Reveling at the moment. His head nuzzled against her forehead and buried itself in between her neck and shoulder.

Their arms found their way wrapped around one another, something so familiar, yet all of a sudden, so foreign. It felt stupid to Marinette. All of it felt stupid. These emotions for her partner were so sudden and out of the blue, and Marinette was the last person to ever act upon her emotions with such boldness and positivity and an all-knowing sense of power. She was ditzy, clumsy, and bubbly, and didn’t know how to keep her thoughts to herself. Adrien had told her that before, she returned his comment with a quick slap to the back of his head.

She felt confident. More confident than she had in years. More confident than she felt as Ladybug. Adrenaline, serotonin, and energy surged through her body as she felt this alley cat pepper small pecks on her neck in a way of territorial markings, nothing harsh, everything soft, everything nice. Everything just the way she wanted it.

“I hope this doesn’t mean you’re gonna pee on me now.” Marinette dragged. She didn’t think it was possible to be simultaneously so tired yet so alive at the same time.

Chat’s shoulders shook against her body, a contagious laugh filling the air. He shook his head twice against her neck. “No, Princess, I wouldn’t count on it.” He whispered against her jawline. The nickname felt different now. No longer all-mighty Chat Noir being the self-proclaimed knight in shining leather and gloating about his so-called “accomplishments.” The nickname was intimate now, just the two of them, and nobody else. Marinette felt a sense of greed at the thought of being Chat’s, and nobody else. Something she had never felt before in her life. Something that made her shoulders shake, and body shiver.

Chat must have noticed her reaction as he laid another kiss on her jaw. More soft and gentle than the others; if that was even possible. Light enough to be pushed away at any time she wanted. Light enough as to say; ‘Hey, if this is making you uncomfortable, you should stop me.’

It didn’t make her uncomfortable, but she pushed away anyway. She was too tired, and too confused, and needed some time to think. A night, perhaps, of pure ignorant sleep under a cloud of nothingness. It seemed enchanting.

She voiced her thoughts; “I should really… Get to sleep.”

Chat took her hand softly, kissing her knuckles. “Farewell.”

“Farewell…”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> in the past week i have binged the entirety of avatar the last airbender AND she-ra on vacation with my best friend.
> 
> anyway; I love them. it finally happened. I'm so happy wow. I also have discovered I can't write make-out scenes for SHIT so I'm SORRY.
> 
> Like I said, I'm back in school (freshman year... whoopee?) so my updates might be slower than they used to be; I really hope I can figure something out but I literally started school yesterday and I already have like 6 assignments I haven't gotten to; so yeah! I'll update y'all next chapter on where that stands. Thank you for everything, you all are so kind <3
> 
> xo, Emma

**Author's Note:**

> *claps hands*  
> well, there goes. we've started, and i'm so so so excited!
> 
> please tell me what you think. i greatly appreciate any constructive criticism, for i am only 14 and have long ways to go, and i know there are a lot of older (or just more experienced) writers in this fandom that i could take great amounts of help from! this story already means a hella lot to me, and i can't wait to track my progress as not only a storyteller, but also as a person through these chapters, these notes, and more. 
> 
> i hope you guys enjoyed! bye-bye!


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